Never mess with an Elder Sister
by Lady of the Mays
Summary: With demons once again roaming the shinobi nations and death around every corner, those given holy power are in need more than ever. With a summoning gone wrong, they don't get a powerful miko or monk but a boy. Unknown to them this child is exactly what they need, or that they just kidnapped the little brother of the most powerful and fierce priestess around. And she's pissed.
1. Chapter 1

Hello my dear reader, for choosing to read my very first fan-fiction. I am unfortunatly a new writer so I ask that you don't flame me(-.-' plz don't) Constructive critisism is of course welcome and something that I hope very much much to get. Plz treat me and my fan-fictions kindly ^,^!

Prolouge- Sarced Text

The Godame Hokage sighed as she looked over the most recent reports from the shinobi that she'd sent to patrol the borders of Fire Country. They said the same things as all the other reports that she'd been forced to look over lately, disgusting monsters, destruction. Some reports mentioned people disappearing or bits of them being found in a village that was destroyed. But they all said the same basic thing. Strange monsters were killing the human population, and every report came with a casualty list.

Tsunade sighed and pulled out some of her stronger sake, the kind that people drank when they didn't want to deal with the rest of the world and thankfully one that Shizune hadn't been able to find. Though with all the recent reports, attacks, and other problems Konoha seemed to be facing she doubted that Shizune would even mention her drinking this early in the morning. Tsunade quickly poured herself a cup and drank it, letting the burn of the alcohol run down her throat and pool almost pleasantly in her stomach before she picked up another report to read.

"Hokage-sama," said a voice. Tsunade looked up,_damn it I didn't even sense him_, she thoguht darkly to herself. With her free hand she rubbed her face, blone hair dull in her usual two tailed style and her steal colored eyes as weary and old as her actual age, despite still looking like a woman in her mid 20's.

"What is it Itachi?" she asked tiredly,_ah another reason to drink._ Days of reading nightmare inducing reports combined with worry for her village was catching up to her. And the 20 year old Uchiha heir and former Akatsuki member was not helping things. His gray kimono with the Uchiha fan on the back, and white obi was what he prefeared to wear since he'd had all of his gear taken away, and didnt need at the moment because he wasn't returned to an active Konoha shinobi yet. Yes, the older Uchiha was back in Konoha, much to the displeasure of most to most of the village, council, and the younger Uchiha. But they didn't have a choice or a say in the matter.

When the first sightings of the monsters-_demons_- her mind corrected, 3 months ago all but three of the missing nin group were dead, her bastard of a former teammate Orochimaru, unfortunatly, was not among them. Though when introduced to Hidan she also wished that he'd been killed. The man caused the nurses that tended to his wounds to feint when they saw him 'dead' on the floor from one of his blasted rituals. They had come to Konoha with information and their oaths of fealty to the village in these trying times in exchange for their lives. Tsunade was a ninga, a damn good one, and so were they. But they had information that she, as Hokage needed to know, so after sealing most of their chakara, and sending them to Ibiki for a evaluation, she got her answers. Neither Itachi, Hidan, or Kisame, were allowed to leave the village until they were proven trustworthy. Itachi was living at the old Uchiha estate, with a small platoon of ANBU, along with his brother. Trying to patch things up with the old estate and his only family. Kisame and Hidan were given rooms as well in one of the empty civilian houses, and slowly driving each other insane. No one was happy with the arrangements but it was what they got, though they deserved better than they did.

_And more then,_she thought bitterly as she gazed at Itachi. A pang of regret in her heart at the memory of what the young man in front of her had said, about his clan, the former Third Hokage, and his mission. Tsunade couldn't understand how her old sensei could have agreed to such a plan, but when Itachi mentioned Danzo then it made a bit more sense.

She sighed, Itachi was a fool to love Konoha as he did, to go even as far as to kill almost his entire family just to protect it, but if he was a fool then so was she for coming back and taking up the mantel of Hokage. _At least until the gaki's ready to take over_, she thought pleased that her thoughts kept that little bit of information. Naruto would be a good Hokage one day, and that day she'd turn over the position to the kid. But that was then and this was now, now he was a 16 year old gaki.

"-Jaraya-sama's returned from his mission, and he thinks that he's found something that can explain how Mandara managed to bring all these demons, and how to stop them," Itachi concluded waiting for his Hokage's reaction to the news. He was not disappointed.

The Hokage snapped up, her steel colored eyes glaring at his own obsidian, and threw her sake bottle at his head. He dogged and the bottle smashed against the wall of the Hokage's office.

"Why didn't you say this before Uchiha!? Get that damned pervert in here now!" Itachi did as bid and opened the office door, her white haired and perverted teammate coming into her office almost, subdued. His clothes were caked with mud and grime in addition to multiple gashes that she would bet came from a demon, whatever he had found hopefully hadn't been damaged.

"Itachi told me that you think you found something that can stop them," Tsunade said, it was more of a statement than a question. Jaraya nodded, his coal black eyes looked a bit pink from... crying, Tsunade was clueless as to what affect the perverterd ninja so badly.

Jaraya brought a hand up to his red vest and pulled out, what looked like an old paper book. With more gentelness than she had thought he possesed he placed the book on her desk. Tsunade looked at the book in front of her, it was old, really old. The paper was yellowed from oblivious age, the once dark ink was faded till it was difficult to read, and the bindings were nothing but the remains of decaying thread, that by some gift of the Kamis, still bound the whole thing together.

"I found this on the last mission I was on," he said, oddly serious for someone who was usually so hyper and annoying. "From what I've been able to peice together it's supposed to be capable of summoning something that can help defend us against these attacks."

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock and she starred down at the book at her desk, unable to reconcile the knowlege about the strength of the demons and the peice of literature sitting harmlessly on her desk.

Even Itachi looked at the book in surprise, and morbid curiousity. _How could something like this summon something that can kill a demon?_he thought.

Tsunade grabbed the book, rifeling through it, trying to find something, anything, to explain what she'd just been told. "What the hell is this?" she asked, unsure wether it was to how it could turn a demon to ash or the words written inside of it.

"Japanese," Jaraya answered, eyes narrowing in frustration at the book cover. "Anceint japanese, from what I can guess. I can't translate the whole thing but some of the words that describe the summoning technique and language I recognize from old sealing techniques."

"Explain Jaraya," Tsunade ordered. Jaraya just shrugged, not even bothering to get a rise out of her. Tsunade gazed at her old teammate in concern now, he must have been more tired than she thought, but she needed this. The village needed this damn it!

"It's a form of langage from before the first Shinobi war," Itachi said when he noticed that the Sannin wasn't going to say, or possibly had nothing to say, anything more about it. He believed in the former more than the latter. "Some say it's from before even the rise of the shinobi, and extremely rare. My clan for all it's wealth and influence had only one scroll written in it. It was a poem an ancestor of the clan's had written for a princess, but I'm unsure if it actually is or just something the clan made up. .But as clan heir I was taught the basics or reading it." He might not have liked the lessons his father had forced him to take but the poem had been beautiful, full of love and emotion to the princess his ancestor had hoped to marry, it always made his heart clench in longing for that type of feeling for another. The Hokage closed the book and handed it too him, telling him to read what it said.

The moment his fingertips touched the aged paper he felt something spark, he kept his face blank while his curiousity rose. As he held it it felt like a small current was flowing into him, from the book. It didn't hurt, but it felt odd, and served to intensify his curiousity. _How could a book have a current? It didn't feel like chakara, but it didn't feel that different from it either_. He read the cover, difficult with his damaged eyesight and the faded lettering, but it looked like... " 'Sacred Memories' " he read.

_How anti-climactic,_Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temple. She'd had hoped it had been something a little more forth coming as to how it turned a demon to ash, but she'd have to be patient. "Itachi you-"

"It's a story, a very well done but terrible story," Jaraya said, eyeing the book in Itachi's grip.

"A story?" Tsunade said, incredulous. Jaraya nodded, taking the book from Itachi's hands and gazing at it sadly. "A love story, especifically."

"How is a love story supposed to help us? Even if it could summon something to help us against demons, if it can't help us it's useless," Tsunade said, already itching for more sake to stem the coming headache. "And how do you two know that? Can you read Anceint Japanese?"

The Sannin shook his head, "Like I said Tsunade the language is similar to our sealing tecniques, I couldn't read all of it so I had my toads read it to me," he looked at her, a little bit of his old self in his eyes. "They weren't very good story tellers so I had to find a beautiful lady-" _ok too much like his old self,_Tsunade quickly brought her fist down on his head, sending her teammate to the floor in a little crater. "Stop being a pervert already Jaraya, and tell me what the hell that book is about!"

Jaraya picked himself up, face bruised but otherwise fine, after handing the book back to Itachi and continued with his explanation. "It was a tale about a young woman and man as they traveled across the land along with their traveling companions to rid the country of an evil man who desired to bend their country to his will." Itachi inwardly winced, the character that sounded like the villan of the story was oddly similar to the Ataksuki before their deaths. Very similar. "According to what my toads told me, it was written by a man called Miroku. It was written from his perspective as a gift to the young woman he traveled with, when their enemy was defeated, as a way that their deeds and sacrifices might be remembered by later generations."

"That's wonderful but how does that help us with our demon problem?" Tsunade sighed. "Unless that summon you mentioned could bring a person who could kill demons or had jutsu that could this is useless."

"Tsunade-sama," Itachi said eyes wide, taking his eyes off one of the back pages he'd been reading, and found the very summoning technique Jaraya had mentioned. "The person who wrote this was a monk, and the young woman it was written for was a preistess. And a way to summon one."

Tsunade sucked in a breath as the inplication of what he'd said. She could remember that her grandfather often told stories about monk and priestesses of old. A smile, the first since their problem began, graced the slug princess's lips.


	2. Chapter 2 A Sibling's Duty, What a Pain

**I do not own Inuyasha, Naruto, or Yu Yu Hakusho.** By the way this is a Kagome/Itachi fic, I've gotten a lot of reviewers asking me if it is and I didn't add that to the summary or the first chapter,sorry for the confusion. I will be trying to update this fan-fic regularly till mid August, by then I'll be preparing to go to school so I might not be updating as often by then. Till then I'll be attempting to update every three days. , Thanks!

Chapter 2- A Sibling's Duty, What a Pain

Sota Higurashi stumbled back into his house on the Higurashi Shrine the sun already high in the sky, more than eager to collapse on his bed today than in the last 15 years, or the couch. He really didn't care which as long as he could be dead to the world for a couple of hours until he had to go to school. He opened the front door to his house, the keys in his hands shaking. The couch won when he saw that someone had put a comfortable looking pillow on it, almost like they'd known that he'd be coming home from his 'job' exhausted today. He fell on the couch, the pillow cushioning his head nicely, he didn't even bothering to change out of his cut up and bloodstained jeans and shirt or letting go of his sheathed katanna. It was supposed to be an easy mission, get in, get the information, and get out. Instead they got in, got attacked by a coven of neko(cat) youkai, fought for 6 hours, found out that the coven they stormed was a distraction, and were sent home to rest till new intel was found. If he'd had the energy Sota would have snorted, but he was too tired to even consider it.

_Never again, _he thought stubbornly. _Everything hurts, damn it, h__ow does nee-chan(big sister) even deal with Koenma's damn missions all the time? I should have refused his offer to become a detective for the Rekai._

It defiantly would have been the smart thing to refuse Koenma. But with his sister's return nearly a year ago and all the stories that he'd heard of her adventures, he'd wanted to be like her. Her strength was known throughout the Makai(demon world) and Rekai(spirit world), and legends in the Ningenkai(human world). His sister, Kagome Higarashi; AKA the Shikon no Miko, a priestess more powerful than their ancestor Midoriko, and still keeper of that damn bobble. But Sota didn't mind, after two years after his sister first shattered it, and traveled between the present and the Feudal Era, she'd come home. She never said what happened against the spider hanyo(half demon) Naraku, but Sota didn't care. His sister was back, and no youkai were around for the Jewel, it had been nice for a little while.

Two months after her return a youkai had gotten through the Kekkai Barrier in search of the Shikon no Tama. His sister had been gone, doing an errand with their mother when they'd attacked. Sota had gotten both he and his grandfather into the house, Kagome had set up a barrier in the house in case of youkai attack. But it had needed reki to activate, and his grandpa didn't have any. He'd been terrified and desperate to protect himself and his grandfather, hearing about youkai from stories had been different than actually _seeing _them, even after being told about them from his sister and being shown some of her scars it hadn't really suck in till that moment.

In his panic he'd slapped the barrier spell, hoping it would activate before the youkai broke into the house. And it did, the fear and panic had unleashed his reki(holy energy), making his body glow a soft blue and turning the youkai to ashes. He didn't stop glowing till his mom and sister came home. Kagome started his monk training the next day. She trained him relentlessly; the sessions themselves were brutal, ranging from sutras to swordsmanship to specific spell for monks and staff, though according to her they were going at a much slower pace than she'd been taught. Sota didn't even want to imagine what it had been like. He wasn't as strong as his sister, she could purify youkai with a single touch and faster than he could ever dream to accomplish, she also had more experience than him. But he was okay with that, his sister understood and didn't want, nor expect to be like her. When he finally understood that she brought him to an old friend called Totosai and had his katanna, Byakurō(White wolf) forged for him. And now he worked for Koenma's Rekai Tanti(spirit detectives).

Sota dimly head the door open and close, someone else was home. Soft hands pried his from Byakurō, taking his katanna away. Sota wondered why it didn't react, Kagome had explained that his Byakurō and her own Hiirotsuki(crimson dream) were sentient blades, which mean that anyone but their master couldn't even touch them, not without getting hurt.

"Hey Ototo(little brother), you look like you're trying to become one with the couch." Ahh, that's why, his nee-chan was handling it.

"Hn."_ Kami it hurt even trying to talk._

"Rough day, huh?" He could hear her amusement even if he wasn't looking at her. "You know you shouldn't leave Byakurō out, grandpa wouldn't be able to resist trying to make it the 'god sword' of the shrine or something if he ever found it lying around." Too true, senile old oiji-chan(grandpa).

"Hn." His nee-chan chuckled at his 'hn', no doubt reminded of a stoic hii(fire) and inu(dog) youkai she was friends with. How someone like Sesshomaru and Hiei could be friends with someone as bipolar as Kagome he'd never figure out. He felt his sister's aura blanket his, and sighed in pleasure. Willing himself to somehow melt into the couch. He would never get tired of feeling his sister's aura. It always felt like she was holding onto his very soul, protecting him with her own. He could feel how proud she was of him as her own reki filtered to him through her aura, rejuvenating and healing him of his cuts and bruises. She always did this after a training session, and now when he returned from his missions, so he wouldn't be so drained in the morning.

He then felt something cold and wet moving on his face, curious he cracked open an eye to see what it was. He saw a peaches and cream colored hand coming out of the usual white haori she wore and holding a white towel, already stained the same red as her hakama. His sister had taken to wearing tradition miko clothes since their ouji-chan became too old to continue with his shrine duties. "Your getting sloppy ototo, letting that neko youki cut you up like this. Your lucky that they're only minor wounds, if your fan club saw you like this... They'd faint at the sheer horror of having 'their' Higurashi-sama's(Lord) handsome face so cut up," his elder sister chastised.

Sota's gaze moved upward and connected with a pair of sapphire eyes so like his own. He and his sister looked very similar, they both had the peach and cream colored skin, sapphire eyes, and blue/black hair that he wore in a small ponytail while she wore hers in a braid. The only differences between them was that his face was getting more chiseled while hers was shaped like a heart, and that he was male. The combination of Asian and foreign looks made him popular to girls his age, and some a bit older than his own 14 years. Not as bad as his friend Kurama, thank the Kami, he'd seen those crazy banshees and never once wanted to share his fate. His nee-chan looked more worried than angry at him however, but how'd she- "Byakurō told me," she said, answering his silent question.

_Of course it did, stupid sentient blades that don't know when to shut up. Stupid Koenma with his stupid-_ A buzzing sounded through the air coming from his jean pocket. Sota wanted to curse the toddler prince of the Rekai. He just came home! His nee-chan quickly finished whipping his face and went into the kitchen, leaving him alone so he could talk semi-privately. He struggled to get the compact communicator from his back pocket and sit up. He flipped it open to the very person he'd been cursing, in his head cause if he said it aloud he'd get an earful from his sister, he _so_ didn't want to deal with the toddler.

"What do you want Koenma?" Sota said, his voice cracking at the first thing he'd actually said since being home.

"Ah Sota, good to see that your still up," Koenma said, as if he didn't see his detective's oblivious exhaustion, wearing his usual Jr. hat, blue outfit, and pacifier. "We've received news that a group of low level shadow demons are going to join to form a S-class Shadow youkai. They must be stopped before they combine and reach the ningenkai."

Sota rubbed his face, more than fed up with the toddler, "From what nee-chan's told me about shadow youkai all but their A class are extremely weak, they'd have to have either a high B Class to even attempt a joining. Sesshomaru-sama even lead a purge against any that could even be _considered_ high B-class when they kidnapped the Western princess."

Koenma's face pinched, a small tick mark on his head. "I've already contacted Sesshomaru-sama and told him-"

"Then you should know that he isn't called 'the killing perfection' for nothing. There's no way one would have survived the purge," Sota interrupted. The tick mark grew, and he chewed on his pacifier quickly growing frustrated with the youngest member of his team.

"-the rest of the Rekai Tantai and told them the news, Botan will be stopping by to teleport you to where these youkai were last seen."

"But there is no youkai, you damn toddler!" Sota shouted, sounding very much like another foul mouthed member of the rekai tantai. "There are no shadow youkai that can even be considered the base for this joining! And even if they did there's no fucking way that they'd do it willingly just to get into the ningenkai!"

"Damn it Sota!," Koenma shouted back. "There's more than a B-class shadow youkai that they could use for the joining! Any youkai, even a random ningen(human) like Yusuke can become a host to them if there are enough of them to overcome their will!"

Sota's eyes widened, oh, this is bad, very bad. If they took over a A-class, well anything, they'd have the powers of their host along with their compounded abilities... Oh Kami, if they took over someone like Yusuke or Hiei. He didn't even want to think about it.

A familiar black portal appeared in his wall, a equally familiar blue haired shinigami coming out of it in her usual baby pink kimono and oar. "If you're done arguing with Koenma-sama Sota, everyone's already waiting for us in the Makai," Botan said, she didn't sound happy. Her hair looked like she'd just come out of bed, probably did.

Sota grunted and moved to the portal, but something was wrong. Missing. But- "Sota?"

Oh, crap. His sister, he forgot all about her. Slowly, like he could be mauled if he made any sudden moves, turned around. He sister was looking at him, arms crossed across her chest, she was smiling but her eyes flashed with a very different emotion at him. Even though she was wearing her miko clothes that usually made her look very peaceful, her anger made it look like she was about to face her most hated enemy. She hated curshing, he was _so_ dead.

She walked over to him, arms still crossed, her smile gaining a sharp, feral he would have called it, edge to it. "Aren't you forgetting something ototo?"

"Umm... I'm sorry, nee-chan?" he tried nervously.

She looked at him then sighed at him. Thank the Kami, he didn't want to die yet. Byakurō appeared in her hands and she handed it to him. "Never forget your blade Sota. You never know what's gonna happen on a mission, so it's essential to be prepared for anything."

"Hai." He put his katanna in a hoop of his jean, and gave his sister a kiss on the cheek before joining Botan in the portal. "See you later, nee-chan."

_Konoha_

Itachi sat at his desk in his father's former study, his dark grey kimmono with his clan symbol on the back. Behind him bookshelves were filled with books and scrolls that ranged from jutsu to the few pieces that he had added for his own enjoyment before his sight deteriorated to the point where he couldn't even make out the words. Mid-morning sunlight gently filling the room through the only window along with a small breeze. It was a rare peaceful day in Konoha...

"You fucking fish! I'll cut your fucking head off and set it on fire as an offering to Jashin-sama!"

Until he remembered his unwanted guests. Itachi wanted to rub his face in an attempt to stop the headache that he knew was going to hit him, the day had just started and already they were giving him a headache. _You wouldn't have to deal with headaches if you'd never offered your home in the first place,_ he thought to himself. How he wished he'd had that knowledge back then, it would have saved him so much pain. On their own Hidan was eccentric and suicidal, and Kisame was relatively normal for someone who looks like a large fish, but get them together and they were any sane person's worst nightmare.

That was how they'd come to live with him at the Uchiha compound in the first place. Hidan had gotten pissed at Kisame for something he didn't care to know about, but the fight that had erupted from those two had destroyed the civilian house they lived in. And though many shinobi were losing their lives daily because of the demons, no one was comfortable letting two former S class missing nin stay with them. Or maybe they'd been smarter than him and refused when the Hokage asked. With nowhere else to put them and not enough shinobi to watch over the three of them separately the Hokage had asked if they could live with him and his brother at the Uchiha compound. Itachi knew that when he'd accepted that mission so many years ago that there would be repercussions, his relationship, or utter lack thereof, with his little brother was expected.

Itachi sighed, there was nothing he could do about the past. He'd agreed and brought them into this home, he would just have to deal with them. He heard what sounded like muffled cursing, most likely Hidan, followed by thumping and more cursing. He'd better check on them before they decided to destroy part of the manor. He left the study, following the sounds of his former Akatsuki members. He wasn't looking forward to finding out what they were up to, they'd no doubt pissed each other off again, so he walked through his home to the noise at a leisurely pace.

He found Hidan and Kisame, actually Hidan trying to kill Kisame with his scythe while Kisame was dodging, in the manor garden. By Kisame's nearly shredded black shirt it seemed like Hidan had gotten some hits in already.

Just as he was about to stop them, forcefully, his brother's teammate, Naruto in his black and orange clothes, and Sasuke in his jounin uniform rounded the corner. "Oi! Itachi, ya home?! Baa-chan wanted us to tell ya... Wait, Hidan! What'cha doing to Kisame?!"

"Wha- ya damn gaki! Let me go! I'm gonna burn that fucking fish for Jashin-sama!"

"Don't do your blasted rituals in my house!"

This had gone on long enough, "All of you. Shut. Up." The four of them finally noticed his presence, an angry red sharingan eyes glaring at them.

"Now now, Itachi," Kisame said, trying to placate his former partner before someone did something stupid. Or dead. "No reason to go Uchiha on us." Even Hidan seemed to know to not rile the elder Uchiha further.

The eldest Uchiha didn't seem convinced in the slightest, Kisame glanced nervously at the blond jinchuuriki. "Kid, you said you had something to tell Itachi?"

Naruto Uzumaki gave Kisame a dirty look, "Yeah, Baa-chan says that the summoning jutsu is ready dattabuyo(beleive it). She wants you, me, Sasuke, and the pervy sage to be there so no demons can screw it up. With us there no way any demons will mess it up!"

His ototo snorted, "If the Hokage didn't want something to go wrong she wouldn't have you guarding dobe."

"Teme."

"Dobe."

"Teme!"

"Dobe."

"Stupid teme, dattabuyo!"

_And I thought Kisame and Hidan were bad. These two are worse than children, no they _are_ children_, Itachi thought to himself, he rubbed the bridge of his nose his headache was there in full force from frustration and using the sharingan. "Naruto, tell the Hokage I'll be there," he said, leaving the four to prepare.

"Damn Sasuke, your brother's scary!"

"Hn," Sasuke said, already walking to where the Hokage said they were going to perform the summoning. Ignoring the ominous feeling crawling up his spine.


	3. Chapter 3 You LOST my Brother!

Sorry that this is late everyone. I couldn't get any inspiration for some of the scenes and it was much longer than any of the other chapters. I've also started preparing to leave for college so my updates will take longer than usual to do. I truly apologize for that my readers. Anyway, this will be the last of the chapters with pov that's not Kagome, Sota, or Itachi. I will try and limit this fic to those three povs from now one. A few reminders, I welcome all reviews and constructive criticisms. If you see anything wrong plz let me now. I don't own Inuyasha and Naruto.

_**Blahah=**_Demon Language

**Blahah= **More than one person speaking at the same time

_Blahah= _Thoughts

* * *

_Makai_

He had a bad feeling about this mission, and it wasn't just because he wanted to go back home. It was the same kind of feeling he got when that youkai went after him and ouji-chan. Sota unconsciously tightened his grip around Byakurō, his sense on high alert. Looking at his teammates it seemed he wasn't the only one that was feeling paranoid and jumpy. Hiei's grip was tight on his own katanna as he and the rest of the team ran around the forests of the Makai, crimson eyes gazed straight ahead as black hair shifted from the speed they were going. The only thing that gave away his tension was the stubble tensing he could see from his black clad body along with the Jagan's aura being restless. Kurama's emerald eyes were as equally focused in front of him, a hand already combing his bright red hair for the proper seed to create his famous rose whip. Even Yusuke was focused instead of his usual crass self and Kuwabara... Well he seemed focused but it was hard to tell with him.

They were all told the mission though: find the shadow youkai and stop them from taking over whatever other youkai they chose for their host. Course, Sota had wished that he'd been given a chance to change out of his still bloodied clothing, but with Koenma emphasizing speed he couldn't complain. Being a monk in training gave him even less of a right, Kagome had drilled the duties of monks and mikos into his head all through out his training. They were defenders of regular ningen(humans), keepers of the holy arts. '_The youkai hand protects, humans sustain and we are the balance in between',_ was how she explained it. He couldn't argue with her when he worked with the Rekai to stop youkai from breaking through the Kekkai barrier to get into the ningenkai. Or when the both of them had more youkai friends than ningen.

However as they traveled, Sota wished that he'd been born normal. The normally red sky of the Makai, usually oddly comforting, seemed almost menacing today. "Kurama are we getting closer to where the brat said these youkai were last seen?" asked Yusuke, stopping them to look around a thick patch of trees.

"Hai(yes) Yusuke," Kurama replied, his voice soft while he took out his communicator and starred at the screen. "According to the intelligence Koenma collected we should be nearing the area where he thinks the shadow youkai will be joining to their host."

"Hiei can the Jagan sense anything?" Yusuke asked, his expression serious.

"No need," Hiei answered getting into a fighting stance. "They're here."

No sooner had Hiei announced that that the sound of trees being crushed followed. Sota tensed drawing Byakurō from it's dark grey sheath, the blade almost pearly white. Everyone else drew their weapons, ready. They didn't have to wait long. The youkai literally came crashing toward them.

"Boar youkai, watch out!" yelled Sota, jumping out of the way of it's deadly tusk and landing in a tree-branch. It was easily one of the larger youkai that Sota'd ever seen. A large hulking body covered in coarse brown hair the size of a two storing house, tusks the color of aged paper and eyes a crazed yellow; one with red scrella the other with black. Kurama and Hiei also jumped into trees, Yusuke yelled "Spirit Gun!", hoping to at least wound the large boar youkai. The technique seemed to just bounce off it. And piss it off. Yusuke managed to to jump out of the way when the youkai started to charge him, Kuwarbara wasn't so lucky. He was shoved and crashed into the nearest tree, no longer moving. Sota, worried that he might have been seriously injured, probed at his aura, relieved that he'd just been knocked unconcious.

"Yusuke get Kazuma out of there!" Kurama shouted his rose whip forming in his hand. "We'll hold it off!" Yusuke nodded that he heard and Kurama attacked, Sota and Hiei following his lead and distracting the youkai for focusing on him.

(Please go easy on me, fighting scenes are difficult for me to do)

Kurama's whip struck at the boar's flank making it squeal out in pain. It turned to Kurama it's odd mismatched eyes filled with a maddening rage and charged. He jumped out the way and Hiei took his place at the youkai's back and used his signature fire attack. The youkai's flesh didn't catch fire but it did make the beast cry out in pain at the burn it received. Sota came after Hiei, lifting Byakurō, which glowed with the blue light of his reki, "Tsuki kiba o funsai!(crushing moon fang)" charged in a downward slash to the boar youkai's flank. Three lines of reki clawed down at the boar youkai and the ground around it.

"_**Damn you Rekai BASTARDS!" **_The blade and reki cut into the beat, flesh sizzling and blood poured out of the wound. The boar squealed again, tusks and head coming at him almost faster than Sota could defend himself. Tusks and steel clashed painfully and Sota flew backwards several feet into a tree. His back slammed hard against it knocking all the air out of Sota's lungs. "Sota!" "Brat!" He slid down, blood sliding down his face. He heard Yusuke calling him, but he couldn't take in enough air. _How could a boar youkai_ _TALK_? Sota wondered,_ Their usually too stupid, even the S-class are known mostly for their monstrous strength. They're incapable of speech- _That's it!

Sota stood up using Byakurō to steady his shaky legs. It was difficult to breath and his vision was becoming disjointed the more he moved, but using the familiar sounds of battle as a guide he made his way back to his teammates. He stopped at a tree near the edge of the battle feild, it had almost become a clearing if it wasn't for the numerous tree stumps. Kurama, Yusuke, and Hiei were still fighting the youkai, which now sported more serious wounds than just the ones he'd made from his reki, as did his teammates. _It looks different _Sota realized. Instead of brown hair and odd colored eyes it was now all black except for it's tusks, still a sickly yellow.

"Kurma we can't keep fighting this bastard we gotta find the shadow youkai before they join!" yelled Yusuke releasing another spirit gun at the youkai as Kurama's whip wrapped around a tusk in a attempt to still or at least influence the youkai's direction.

"We're trying Yusuke!" Kurama yelled right back, his feet digging into the ground as he tried to stem the boar youkai's charge. With a abrupt jerk he was flying into a tree much like Sota did. Only Kurama managed to catch himself and land on his feet before he touched the tree.

_I have to tell them. Before it's too late_. Sota took a deep breath, his ribs protesting the expanding, crap he might have broken a rib also, "Yusuke!"

His freinds turned to the sound of a familiar voice. Yusuke was confused while Kurama looked releived, so was Hiei but it didn't show in his face. "Sota you gotta-"

Sota shook his head, stopping Kurama from telling him to get to safety, "The shadow youkai-" He wheezed, blood sliding into his eye "-is merging with the Boar youkai!"

The shadow/boar youkai turned in his direction. Enraged that he still lived he suddenly charged in his direction, more than intent on getting to Sota's battered state. No one was close enough to help Sota before the shadow/boar youkai's tusks jabbed deeply into his body. Sota screamed at the pain in his torso and arm, dropping Byakurō uselessly on the ground. He screamed even louder when the youkai battered his body against a tree, making it's tusks dig even deeper into his body.

_It hurts! __It hurts! __It hurts! __It hurts! ITHURTSITHURTS-MAKE IT STOPMAKEITSTOP!_ Time slowed from the pain, it was getting harder and harder to breath, his head felt oddly like it was stuffed with cotton and he tasted copper in his mouth. His vision blurred, shapes, images, turned into black blobs.

**_Let go. I'll stop the pain, _ **a voice said.

It was so soothing, like his nee-chan. He wanted his sister, she'd be able to stop the shadow youkai. She was more powerful than him, she'd be able to do it in a snap, then she'd heal him with her aura and baby him for a while. That sounded nice. He could almost feel her aura covering him already.

So soothing. Peaceful.

His eyes lowered at the feeling of contentment. He didn't hurt anymore but he was so tired. Koenma interrupted his sleep before, and it was quiet. Almost.

There was a nagging feeling. Something was wrong, telling him, _snarling_ at him, not to sleep. He couldn't sleep. _Don't sleep! _His nee-chan's aura thickened around him...

Something was wrong. Kagome's aura was warm, thickening like a blanket that could have been removed. This felt cold.

Chilly, cagey. Enforcing the feeling of sleep, not comforting. _This was not his nee-chan's AURA!_

**_Let go... Sleep..._**

_No_, Sota thought rebelliously. _I will not give in to you!_

**_Foolish ningen... _**_ **Sleep! **_

He could feel the shadow youkai trying to join to his body now. He wouldn't let these youkai take his body. He'd never be able to see his friends again, images of his teammates flashed in his clearing mind. His family. Images of his kaa-san(mother), ouji-chan. His sister. Images of Kagome teaching him, teasing him, healing him. She'd done harder things than he in the Feudal Era. He wouldn't disappoint her by giving in to some low-level shadow youkai!

_NO!_ Sota snarled, his reki reacting to the youkai. Fighting it for control. He wouldn't lose! Not to this _two-bit_ youkai!

* * *

_A bit outside Konoha_

Tsunade waited at the clearing that outlined the Forest of Death, re-reading the instructions for the summoning ritual once again and trying to ignore the feeling that she was being watched by something from inside the forest. That was how it always felt before but the feeling had only intensified since the demons started appearing. One could never be too prepared, she had Jiraiya with her along with Kakashi and she'd sent Naruto and Sasuke to get Itachi. It might have been overkill for a ritual that she had no idea if it would even work, but Konoha needed it to succeed. Without it she feared that her village would soon fall to the increasing number of demons.

Tsunade sighed, too many worries were ruining her already frazzled nerves and she needed to be calm. _This ritual couldn't fail._ Jiraiya put a comforting hand on her shoulder, telling her that he was there to support her. Oddly enough, having her old teammate with her made her feel, not safer, she didn't think she'd ever get used to the feeling the Forest of Death now gave her, but she felt more confident about doing this. Jiraiya had done as much research as he could about the ritual, spending hours pouring over old tombs and scrolls. Struggling to understand the ritual's make up. In the end he'd done all he could.

The summoning, according to Jiraiya, wouldn't take up much chakra but the conditions were the tricky part. They'd painted a five pointed star about the size of a grown man in white chalk. It was encircled by candles, none of them lit, with five larger ones at each of the star's points. At the center point of the star was the kangi for balance, written in blood.

_Actual_ blood.

Tsunade didn't know what disturbed her more, that human blood was needed for this ritual, or the kangi that was written with it. If Jiraiya hadn't assured her, she would have thought this some kind of forbidden jutsu.

"The ritual will work Hokage-sama," Kakashi said, his usual masked face and silver hair seemingly indifferent to what they were about to do.

Tsunade looked at the star and kangi, more than a little uneasy, "I hope so Kakashi or Konoha will fall. As Hokage I refuse to let this village fall to demons." He nodded solemnly, he could still recall the nine-tailed fox demon that attacked 16 years ago. The times were like back then, only instead of a single huge demon attacking there were hoards of them.

Three puffs of smoke suddenly appeared next to Tsunade. "Baa-chan! We got Itachi and are ready to start, believe it!" Naruto cried once the smoke cleared. Sasuke and Itachi just bowed their heads slightly, faces in their usual Uchiha expression, and joined Jiraiya and Kakashi besides her.

"Naruto! Be quiet and get behind me then we'll start," Tsunade said, too apprehensive to bash the blond like usual for his nickname.

Naruto just grinned, "Hai baa-chan!", and moved behind her.

Taking a breath to calm herself Tsunade stepped to the edge of the candle circle. Kneeling down, she bowed her head and grasped her hands together as though she was praying. Like instructed she let her chakra flow from her body but made no move to direct it, it was simply there.

"_Enma-sama hear our plea,"_ Tsunade said, beginning the summoning. Suddenly a single candle lit, almost like whatever Kami the ritual instructed to call upon heard her, and gave an indication that it was paying attention.

"_Master of Death," _Another candle_. "Lord of the Spirits." _Another._ "Keeper of the Gates." _Another._ "Creater of the Kekkai" _And another._  
_All the candles at the star's points were aflame now and Tsunade moved to the next postition for the ritual. Still kneeling she unclasped her hands and put them next to the first two candles that lit.

_"This one humbles herself before you,"_ as soon as the words let her mouth she could feel something almost _grab_ her chakra. It was strange. _"This one asks, King of Kings, Lord of Lord, not for herself but for others. A balance broken."_ More of her chakra was grabbed and 2/5ths of the remaining candles lit._ "A gift forsaken."_ The rest of the candles lit._ "A servant's murder."_ Now Tsunade was really starting to become nervous. Something was happening, she didn't know what was happening but something was. The blood in the star seemed to... steam. Tendrils of colored mist rising up from the edges of the kangi.

_"As the mortal hand sustains."_ The tendrils started to circle but no wind blew. _"The youkai hand protects."_ The tendrils thickened till they were an opaque bubble at the center of the star. _"And the holy hand brings balance."_ The bubble grew, expanded, darkened. According to the ritual, Tsunade was supposed to remain where she was or the whole thing would fail. But for the first time in her life, she wanted to flee. Whatever this ritual was supposed to summon was giving her a chilling feeling up her spine. But she needed to do this!

_"Bringer of balance, reveal thyself to this one!"_

The bubble exploded and a scream filled with pain and defiance clawed up the spines of everyone present. Even the Forest of Death stilled at that cry. Tsunade could do nothing but stare. Something that didn't, couldn't be, human formed from the remains of the bubble. Twisted arms with deadly looking claws, body deformed and covered in what looked to be tar. She couldn't see a face, only a gaping mouth with jagged white teeth. It gave another piercing cry, one of it's twisted, gnarled hands, releasing something that fell to the ground. Tsunade felt her shinobi tense behind her.

That seemed to catch the attention of... the _creature_. Hollowed eyes gazed at them for a second. Then dissipated in whirl of blackness, all the candles no longer lit.

Tsunade fell back, shaking badly. "Tsunade!" "**Hokage-sama**!"

Jiraiya knelled down to her, putting an arm around her shaking form. Suddenly she felt the oppressive chakra of the nine-tailed fox. She turned to observe Naruto, pupils becoming slits and irises red. He snarled at at the circle but made no move to get closer to it.

_What is he snarling at?_ Tsunade wondered, following his line of vision. There in the center of the cirlce was what appeared to be a young man holding onto a dark gray sheath and covered with blood. She turned around to Kakashi, who wasn't taking his visible eye off Naruto, and nodded.

Kakashi slowly passed Naruto, unsure at why the fox wasn't attacking if it was out. Very slowly he picked up the young man from the cirlce, the blade slipping out of his hands and dropping to the ground. To say that he was surprised when he got a closer look at the boy would be a understatement. If Kakashi didn't know better he could of said that the boy was defiantly an Uchiha. The pale complexion, unusually handsome face, hair that looked almost ebony but had blue highlights in the sun was tied in a low ponytail. If he had black eyes then he was defiantly an Uchiha. At first glance he even looked like Sasuke!

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"You don't happen to have any living relatives do you?" Kakashi asked, needing Sasuke, more Itachi, to confirm what he was seeing.

"Hn, no, all the Uchiha's were killed when Aneki(big brother, I think) slaughtered the clan. Why Kakashi-sensei?"

"Because this kid looks too much like an Uchiha not to be one," he said, bringing over the unconscious boy to show the others. Everyone looked at the boy, especially Itachi and Sasuke, eyes wide. The skin tone, hair color, heck he even had the Uchiha's handsome features!

"Return him." Everyone looked at Naruto, his eyes no longer red but their normal blue. He looked the most uneasy any of them had ever seen the blond prankster of Konoha ever look

"Naruto? What do you mean?" Tsunade asked, her shaking finally stopping at the incredulousness of the young Uzumaki.

Naruto shrugged, "The Kyuubi wants him gone. Nothing good will come of him staying here. Keeping him here will bring something bad, baa-chan. Something worse than whatever that... _thing... _was, is what Kyuubi says. He seems more frightened about that might come looking for him than anything I've ever seen before."

"We have to see if the summon worked Naruto. Even if he does look like an Uchiha," Kakashi argued, unsure of how to take his student's new seriousness or the fact that they'd just summoned someone who looked very much like a member of the deceased Uchiha clan.

Tsunade released Jiraiya and stood up, "I have to agree with Kakashi on this one Naruto, until we know that this young man can help us he'll stay. And if's a relative of the Uchiha's the council will have to be told anyway with so few left. If he can't help us or isn't a relative then we'll send him back to where he came from."

Jiraiya briefly looked guilty before he masked it, no one but Itachi saw it. Everyone else was either looking at the young man that the Hokage had just summoned or at Naruto's odd behavior, so no one would have noticed. But Itachi was trained by some of the best, to be the best, so he saw the look.

_ He wouldn't have that look unless something was wrong. What's wrong about returning the boy to his home? _Did the Sanin not tell them everything about this ritual? And Naruto's words, something actually worse than that black creature... The idea made him a little ill , even with all that Itachi had seen in his life as a shinobi. But that was for another time and place. There were too many unanswered questions for now, and this boy that they'd summoned had the answers to many of them.

Tsunade sighed heavily, this was just too much. First that _thing_, then the person that she'd summon to help Konoha just happens to look like a member of the Uchiha clan, now her successor and the Kyuubi were acting odd. As if she wasn't going to have a field day with the Council already!

"Let's take him to the hospital for now, he seems to have been injured if his clothes are anything to go by. And we'll be able to run some tests on himto find out if he is an Uchiha."

"**Hai Hokage-sama**"

* * *

_In the Rekai_

Koenma wished, more than anything that he'd ever wished before, that Kurama hadn't just told him what had occurred in the Makai. The red headed male was obliviously worried about his youngest teammate even while he was giving his report, as did the others. The worry, surprisingly, came from actual affection for the young boy. Koenma would have found it kinda ironic that his youngest detective would be so accepted as a good friend by his rekai tanti, even the always stoic and violent Hiei, if his sister didn't have the same gift with making friends with almost anyone and everyone.

The thought of Sota's sister made Koenma shiver in fear. What she might do when she realized that he was missing nearly made him wet his diaper. _Which means that she can't find out_, he thought.

"We have no idea where he and the youkai could have gone, even Hiei's Jagan couldn't pick up any traces of his aura anywhere. It's like he just vanished," Kurama finished, narrowing his eyes when he saw Koenma shiver. He felt Youko shift, curious why his scent was beginning to smell of fear.

"We'll just have to find the brat and get him home," Yusuke said, his exterior gruff as usual but chocolate brown eyes worried for his teammate. "We'll probably have to tell the kid's family though, that he's missing."

Koenma jumped up, "No! You can't tell his family."

Kurama's eyes turned to regard Koenma coolly. He and Youko disliked the idea of not telling his family, mostly out of a kitsune's natural instinct to have connections with family members. "Why not? We were told that his family is aware of the existence of the Kekkai barrier and that he's a rekai tanti, there shouldn't be-"

"No!" Koenma rejected, vehemently. "You are not to tell any member of the Higurashi family about Sota's disappearance and that's final."

"What the hell Koenma?! You're telling me we can't tell the brat's _family_ that he's honestly missing and we have no fucking clue where he is? Is you're diaper on to tight?"

"Yeah Koenma!" Kuwabara said, "The Higarashi's already know he works for the Rekai, there's no reason not to-"

"You idiot!" Koenma yelled, throwing his rubber stamper at Kuwabara's head, which he unfortunately ducked in him and avoided getting hit. "If you told his family than _she_ will know! And if she knows..." Koenma felt it then. Her aura, she was here! The doors to his office slammed open, doors nearly flying off hinges at the force.

"Koenma! You little bastard you LOST my BROTHER?!"

She was here, and he was going to die at the hand of Kagome Higurashi, the Shikon no Miko. Last, and most powerful, miko to be born since the time of Midoriko.

"K-Kagome-sama!" he squeaked.

Kagome's eyes flashed. "You bastard Koenma! We had a deal! You let my precious ototo be one of your blasted detectives, you keep an eye on him, and I never return to this thrice damned hell of a world ever again! And now Hiitsuki tells me that Byakurō and Sota's auras are gone!" she snarled.

She stomped her way to his desk, her anger so focused on him that she didn't even seem to see the others in the room. She was wearing her miko clothing, the sight would normally make her look lovely, ivory white haori contrasting with her ebony blue hair nicely and hakama the same sapphire blue as her eyes. His father had once told him that if he ever enraged anyone in his long life, to never piss the Shikon Miko off because she was as vicious as she was beautiful. "Kagome-sama, please! Allow me to explain! Please!"

She grabbed his light blue kimono with one hand, the other glowing a light pink. He could feel her power wrapping around his throat, choking him, even though her glowing hand wasn't anywhere near him. "No, Koenma! You knew the terms! How hard is it to watch a 15 year old kid? He'd a monk for Kami's sake! The only other soul with reki in all the three worlds. And now he's _gone because you let some youkai take him!_"

"Kagome," said Hiei, looking almost, happy, for the first time anyone had ever seen him. Kagome turned, looking for the one that called her name. Ruby and sapphire met, and she squealed in delight, "Hiei!" Releasing Koenma, who fell to the ground with a thud, and hand no longer glowing she skipped to him and gave him a hug.

Eyes widened when Hiei made no move to stop her from wrapping her arms around his waist, and widened even more when he seemed to return the hug. He even seemed to _smile_. Kurama coughed, having known Hiei the longest and never see him be remotely affectionate with anyone, Yukina notwithstanding. Yet here he was, hugging a woman, a miko no less if the sting he'd felt from her power was anything to go by. And who just a moment ago looked ready to murder Koenma right then and there.

The two looked up at Kurama, Hiei's eyes widened marginally then narrowed at him as if daring him to say something. Anything. Kurama merely smiled, "Hiei aren't you going to introduce us to this lovely lady?"

Kagome blushed, embarrassed at her lack of manners in front of friends of Hiei's. Not wanting to leave the embrace of her long time freind she twisted to look at the red head, sensing her thoughts Hiei dropped one arm from around her waist. But he too made no move to leave the comfort of her embrace, too long denied to him and her presence.

"Forgive me, Youko-san, for my manners. I guess I was just too happy to see Hiei again that I forgot to introduce myself," Kagome said, not noting how everyone but Hiei starred at her in shock. "I am Kagome Higurashi, the Shikon no Miko. It's very nice to finally meet you"

Kurama took a step back, "The Shikon no miko? _The _Shikon no Miko that defeated Naraku over 500 years ago? The mother of the current bandit king of the south Makai?"

Kagome's eyes softened, "That's me. Though I didn't know about _that_. I'm going to give that kit a stern talking to, keeping something like that from his mother." She sighed, a smile full of love and pride for her child on her face, "My darling boy has gotten so famous so quickly, but I suppose it's no surprise. Shippo always tried to steal treats from me when he was a kit." She giggled. "I suppose now I have another reason for trying to get him a mate, well besides giving me grandkits to spoil."

Hiei rolled his eyes, "As if that fox would settle down. He went missing for 13 years the last time you tried to get him to mate, he isn't going to be anything but lecherous for decades more."

Kagome sighed eyes gazing heavenward, from the way she reacted this was a old disscussion, "I know. But is the idea of giving his mother grandkits to spoil such a bad thing? Shippo certainly didn't complain with the way I spoiled him, stubborn kit."

"Whoa, whoa, just wait a second," Yusuke said, "First you barge in here, then you almost murder the toddler and now you're complaining about your son?"

"That's right," Kagome said, confused to what the young man was getting at.

"Are you bi-polar or something?" he blurted out, a deadpanned expression on his face.

"Yusuke, you don't ask the Shikon no Miko, a miko who can purify you with a touch of her _hand_, that kind of question," Kurama sighed, an 'You're an idiot for asking' went unsaid but still there. "Wow Uremsehi, really smooth," Kuwabara said, tone indicating he agreed with Kurama.

Kagome just giggled, completely at ease with the question. She'd been asked it many times in her life, at first it was a little annoying but was so common nowadays it was like asking if the sky was blue. Still amused she answered, "No Yusuke-san, I don't think so. Though you might want to listen to what Youko-san is saying, if I was any other miko you'd be a pile of ashes on the floor." Then she remembered why she was angry in the first place.

Her aura rose with her reki, carefully controlled to avoid hurting her friend, but making Koenma float up from the ground where he'd been trying to crawl away. He struggled against her power but couldn't do anything but float to their little group by his ankle, the rest of him dangling in the air. Kagome's eyes narrowed at the child ruler, "But unless Sota is found soon I'm afraid that you'll have to look for someone else to run this pathetic excuse for a dimension in his father's stead. And then find someone to replace his father. Cause when I'm done with these two there's not going to be anything but purified bits and pieces."

Koenma stilled, not doubting her threat in the least. And the other males looked very uncomfortable, though Hiei didn't look to care at all.

Clearing his throat, a difficult thing since her reki was making his entire body tingle with painful little pin pricks, "Kagome-sama, perhaps you'd be capable of helping us find Sota since you're a miko of great power yourself." Immediately Koenma fell to the floor and the sensation of her reki disappeared back within her body.

"Youko-san you're a genius!" she smiled, "Thank goodness someone in this pathetic world can use his brain to think outside the box."

Kurama smiled despite himself, "Thank you Kagome-sama, please call me Kurama."

"Only if you call me Kagome," she replied, "I don't really like titles."

Even though he knew that she could purify him in a second, she and Sota had the same spirited innocence and friendly personality about them. It made Kurama like Sota the moment that he'd met the kid, and now he was starting to like his elder sister. '**_Look at those eyes Red. Besides she has a kitsune son, she's used to our kind. Plus she's beautiful! And that power! She'd make an excellent mate._**' Though he wished Youko would stop whispering about her.

"Well then let's go. The sooner we head to the Makai the sooner we get my ototo back."

Koenma finally roused from being dropped unceremoniously on the floor, "But Kagome-sama you can't allow the Shikon into the Makai! It would become corrupted from the yoki laced lands and every youkai there would be able to sense the jewel's aura. You would be target by the entire population!"

Kagome just smiled, eyes alight with mischief. "The jewel will be fine Koenma. I have kept it safely hidden among youkai before, I am more than capable of doing it again."

"But-"

Her temper was quick to resurface and she left Hiei's comforting embrace, "You have no right to dictate what I do when you are the one that lost my brother's aura! I _will_ go to the Makai, with or without your tantai, and I _will_ find my ototo." A pink glow surrounded her body and her hair moved with an invisible wind, the promise of death by purification more than evident. She turned around to face the rekai tantai, eyes still alight with temper, "I hope that you all would be kind enough to escort me to where Sota disapeared, please?"

"Of course, Kagome," said Kurama. Hiei nodded, "Hn." "Tch, fine."

"No offence Kagome-chan," Kuwabara said. "But a lady such as yourself really shouldn't go into the Makai without some kind of protection."

Kagome looked down at her clothes, what he'd said was true. Her usual clothing wasn't really suitable for traveling around a world full of youkai, it didn't really offer any protection other than the charms that were sewn into it. Plus other than Hiitsuki, who was always in her reach, she didn't have any of her weapons with her. _How considerate of him to remind him of me of my saftey,_ she thought kindly.

"Don't worry though! I the great Kazuma Kuwabara will protect you!"

Ignoring what Kuwabara was saying Kagome used her reki to summon her armor onto her body. The tantai stood, transfixed. Another haori, this one a dark blue with silver cherry blossoms and curate of ebony colored leather appeared on her, the armor fit tight against her haori and body, accentuating the feminine body underneath it. A silver and red obi wrapped around her waist and held a black sheath with crimson feathers to her side. Solid black shoes replaced her shrine sandals and a white ribbon wound into her hair, gathering it into the back and away from her face. Gauntlets appeared on her hands looking to be made form the very same material as her curate. Across her back a halberd, it was as tall as she was, appeared and secured with a leather sheath that buckled at her heart.

"You still carry Banryu." Hiei said it more of an observation than a question.

Kagome smiled, and caressed the buckle, "You know I could hardly refuse his previous owner, Hiei. He'd never forgive me if I'd refused." He nodded at this. "Besides Hiitsuki rather likes Banryu staying close to me, she prefers a more sneaky approach to her abilities, than to cause destruction. And Banryu certainly likes to destroy things."

At the mention of destruction her halberd's aura become ruthlessly gleeful, and that unnerved them, a lot.

She unsheathed the blade at her side, it was a curved katana with a tauntingly wicked sharp edge, the blade glowed light gray and handle was a bloody orange. She cut a X in the air and re-sheathed her blade. The space unfolded in the same shape as she had cut and she turned to each of them, "Shall we go then?"

* * *

_Makai_

They soon arrive at the area where Sota and the youkai fought before they disapeared. The area certainly looked like it had seen battle. Trees had been crushed or torn from their stumps, jagged pieces of bark jutting upward where the rest of the tree was ripped off. The once grassy forest floor had burned areas, Hiei was responsible for those no doubt, and other areas had slash marks cut into the earth. That was from Sota, Kagome could feel the residue of Byakurō's attack at the edges. Kagome narrowed her eyes and focused on her ototo's aura, it was different. That couldn't happen, no ones aura can be changed, it was the very expression of their self, their feelings, personality, memories, could be sensed in an aura.

They brought her to where the youkai and her brother vanished. A single tree. "This is where they disappeared," Kurama said. "According to Sota the shadow youkai was trying to merge to the boar youkai we were fighting. It knocked Sota away with minimal injuries at first, maybe it thought that he wasn't a threat. But when he told us they were merging it reacted more violently. It forced him into the tree." Kagome touched the red mark on the tree, it was still wet to the touch. She probbed it with her aura, hopping to find something, anything to lead her to her ototo. She visibly flinched back at what she felt. Her ototo had been in so much pain and his reki had been trying to fight off the possessed youkai. "Sota screamed, then he got quiet. Then he released a large blast of reki and the two of them vanished."

Yes, his pain and reki were soaked into the blood on the tree. But there was something more, she coudln't feel it with just her aura she had to touch it. So she did. The bark was smooth despite everything that had happened to this particular tree, and what she had sensed was there. There was more than just his pain and reki under her hand.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, _what the hell._ "There's spirit energy here, but there's something wrong with it" she said.

"Spirit energy? Like what Uremeshi uses?" Kuwabara asked.

Kagome nodded taking her hand off the tree, "Yes, like what Yusuke-san uses but it's been altered. Which is very odd."

"How so?" Yusuke said.

"Well usually spirit energy is just that, spirit energy," Kagome said, trying to explain. The tantai watched her tap her chest, right where her heart was. "It originates from the soul much like reki does but reki is only used by holy people like me and Sota, who are given our power from the Kami themselves with our souls used as mediums. Spirit energy can be used by any regular ningen if they have the right training, it won't always be a large amount but it will be there." She waved at the tree, "This though is different. Instead of pure spirit energy, it's a mixture of spiritual and physical energies, and even stranger I can sense residual intent. Like someone was trying to summon something."

"Why would anyone want to summon Sota?"Kuwabara asked.

"Idiot," said yusuke. "Some ningen could have been trying to summon the shadow youkai, since the brat's weak." Kagome bristled at the insult at her ototo but held her tongue, focusing more on the left over emotions and strange energy mixture than giving into her desire to let Banryu slash the idiot.

"Hn, if it was a summoning of some kind they'd want Sota. He's the only other person with actual reki in the last 500 years, shadow youkai are vermin. They're found everywhere."

"If that's true Hiei," Kurama said. "Why would someone need Sota? Though he posseses reki he's not the most powerful, and he has very little battle experience."

Kagome finished analyzing the energy, more than a little disturbed, and angry. "That's cause whoever did this wasn't looking for Sota specifically," she said, voice rough with contained feeling.

"Why would you say that Kagome?" Kurama asked.

"I was taught this very techniqe by my sensei(teacher). Though it lacks yoki and has been modified to compensate for it, the base is still the same technique a young youkai would be taught to bring forth their yoki before they do a particular spell."

"I don't get it," Kuwarbara said, clearly confused, as was Yusuke. Kurama and Hiei just waited for her to explain it to the two idiot tantai.

"It means Kuwarbara-san, that whoever intended to summon sota wasn't targeting him specifically. It was basically looking for anyone with substantial reki, not him. Like doing a general search, when your looking for something with reki as the tag. But there's one thing I don't get..."

"Hn, what onna?"

"Damn it Hiei! I told you to call me by my name!"

"Kagome, I think that you should finish explaining before you decide to argue with Hiei."

Kagome's face flushed with embaressment, but she felt better argueing with Hiei over something relatively normal. Well, arguing with stubbornly stoic demons to call her by her proper given name was normal for her. She huffed, willing herself to focus, "I taught Sota most of what I know from my time being the Shikon's gaurdian. And while he's powerful in his own right, Kurama is right, his reki dosn't even compare to my own. If this summoning was looking for a person with large amounts of reki it would naturally gravitate to the person with the greater power. Namely, myself."

"And what does that have to do with anything Kagome-san?" Kuwarbara asked, a little less confused.

Kagome motioned to the tree, "I was in the ningenkai at the time this happened and part of my own training was to mask my aura and reki, I hadn't taught Sota the technique yet because he needed more experience facing youkai before he could understand the foundation of it. But with Sota being impaled by the youkai it caused his reki to fluctuate wildly. His reki would have tried to purify the youkai, seeing it as a foreingn invader. The sudden flux of reki would have purified it mostly Sota's strong enough to do it, but it also must have brought the attention of the technique to him since I was masking my own."

"So your saying that because you kept your reki masked this particular summoning thought you were an anverage human," Kurama said, putting the dots together. "And that's why you are still here and Sota is not."

_It sounds like It's my fault that he was taken when you say it like that,_ she thought, even though it wasn't true, necessarily. Kagome nodded anyway, not allowing her thoughts to show on her face, "Correct, with Sota's own reki flaring out to expel the youkai the summoning thought he was the only being with reki and most likely took him to the ningen who preformed the technique."

"So where is the brat then?" Yusuke asked, irritated by all the talking and nobody doing anything.

"I have no idea." Everyone fell over at that and her deadpanned expression.

Chosing to ignore the silence she continued, "While the energy from the summoning is unique, it would be possible to recreate the summoning using the proper technique as a base while powering it with my reki. It woudln't take me to where Sota is exactly but I would be wherever he is."

"Then do it and let's get the brat back here," Yusuke said, eager to get the show on the road.

Kagome frowned at him, the impatience and insult an unpleasant reminder of someone else, "I'm thankful for you taking me here, Yusuke-san, I'm afraid that I can't allow you to come with me."

"Eh? Why not Kagome-chan?" Kuwarbara asked, stunned.

"Please don't think I'm ungrateful for helping me," Kagome said quickly, not wanting to be rude to them. "But this could be a one way trip, I have no idea where I would be taking you, or if my reki would even react the same way once we arrived. I couldn't ask you, any of you, to give up your lives just to go after Sota with me."

Her words made them all stop and actually think about who they would be leaving behind, sisters, lover, fiance, family. Reluctantly they nodded, though it hurt them too agree. One by one they bid her farewell. Hiei was the last to say goodbye, ruby eyes the warmest Kagome had ever seen. He took her hand with one of his and dropped silver necklace with a single red stone, in it. "Hn, don't forget Ka-go-me." Kagome starred at the stone in her hand, awed by the gift he'd just given her. His own Hiroseki(tear gem). Her eyes started to tear, and she clutched the necklace to her chest.

Warm arms wrapped around her, and she nuzzled her face for the last possible time into his shoulder. "I won't Hiei, put it on for me?"

They let go of each other and he did as she asked. Kagome gave him a watery smile and moved away, "Goodbye Hiei."

She vanished, not in a wide showy way, but a simple fading. As if she was never there at all.


	4. Chapter 4 A Whole New World

_Konoha Hospital_

_He could feel her aura blanket his, and sighed in pleasure. Willing himself to somehow melt into the couch. He would never get tired of feeling her aura. It always felt like she was holding onto his very soul, protecting him with her own. He could feel how proud she was of him as her own reki filtered to him through her aura, rejuvenating and healing him of his cuts and bruises_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

_Ah, what an annoying sound, _he thought. If he could move he would find the source of that annoying noise and make it shut up. His body felt like it's been used as a rag-doll then stretched and his eyes felt like lead. And his head. Oww, his head.

The noise persisted though and he forced his eyes to open just to try and make it stop. Sapphire eyes opened to a pleasant looking, but completely unfamiliar, room. The walls were painted a soothing light green and an open window let in enough light for him to see things clearly. A machine was connected to a needle in his arm, it was what was making the noise that had woken him. He recognized the machine, he knew that they were often found in hospitals. A small table was on the other side of him had a tiny vase of flowers, _daisies,_ if he remembered right, and a glass of water. Using the arm that wasn't connected to a machine his grabbed the glass and drunk some, he was thirsty.

But something was bothering him, no not bothering. _Wrong, so very, very wrong. _Something was missing. He felt odd, like he was missing a limb, even though he wasn't missing any, instead wearing a clean white shirt and cotton sweat pants. Without it he felt exposed, vulnerable. Also he felt... several demonic auras. His reki rose to his skin, reacting to his fear and the demonic auras.

But it was strange, for a couple of reasons: one, they kept moving but that couldnt happen unless the workers knew that they weren't human and were okay with that, and two, well, some of them felt lighter than others. But that couldn't be right, his head head hurt, it must be affecting his reki. Yes, that's the reason.

He tensed, one of the lighter demonic auras was right outside his door. He heard a door open, "Ahh, looks like your awake. That's good to see, you've been out of it for quite a while."

He turned around to see who had come in, a surprised and more than a little confused.

It was a silver haired male wearing the oddest clothes that he'd ever seen, and most of his face was covered. He relaxed for some reason at the hair color, his reki returning to its dormant state within himself. But narrowed his eyes when the male came closer to his bed, just because this guys hair color was comforting didn't mean that he couldn't have been an enemy. He observed the man with his senses, his reki once again coming forth when he felt the aura of the male and his eye.

It felt... similar to youki but mixed with spiritual energy that only humans possessed, though the stranger's felt weaker than his own reki. In addition, now that the man was closer, he noticed that the lightness that he sensed was the youki being extremely diluted. It clicked then. The stranger before him must have had a youkai ancestor; that's how he could have a small amount of youki but still be able to use spirit energy. That made him dangerous, _very_ dangerous.

"The Hokage will be here soon to check up on you in a little while," the strange male said. "She'll be wanting to talk to you anyway, considering the state you were in it's not surprising. How did you get your clothes all bloody like that anyway? It looked like you just got out of a fight for your life."

_It turned in his direction. Enraged that he still lived he suddenly charged in his direction, more than intent on getting to his battered state. No one was close enough to help him before the shadow/boar youkai's tusks jabbed deeply into his body. He screamed at the pain in his torso and arm, dropping something uselessly on the ground. He screamed even louder when the youkai battered his body against a tree, making it's tusks dig even deeper into his body._

He tilted his head to the side, confusion and wariness warring within. Everything the older male before him said made little sense, despite how 'bloody clothes' and 'fight for your life' registered as familiar. "What's a Hokage?" His voice sounded hoarse even to himself.

The male's aura tingled along his senses, why was he confused as well? "A Hokage is a leader of a hidden villge," the male answered, but said no more. As if that was all that needed to be said for him to understand.

"And what's a hidden village? Why's it hidden in the first place? What does an entire village need to hide from anyway?" he asked, slight frustration in his voice. This stranger was not as helpful as he seemed. He was becoming even more dangerous to his person, he had to reel in his reki to keep from purifying the male.

The stranger's visible eye crinkled in amusement, but his aura was suspicious, "A village needs to hide from a lot of things lately., don't you think?" Well that told him absolutely _nothing_. He wanted to snarl at the male, Kami he didn't remember anyone dealing with anyone as frustrating as him.

He sensed another deluted presence, and a human with high spiritual energy, two woman came into his room. One was a rather large chested woman with blond pigtails and steel colored eye, she looked rather young but her aura indicated that she was much older. The other had brown hair and pearly white eyes, there was nothing comforting about her.

"I see Kakashi's keeping you up, good. How are you feeling gaki?" the buxom blonde asked.

He stopped his observation of the pearl eyed woman's aura and focused inward. He didn't like what he sensed, part of his aura had been corrupted by something. The malicious feel to it made him shiver and he quickly disengaged from his own aura. The missing feeling grew, he needed it back. He wouldn't feel feel safe till he had it back.

Saphire connected to steel, and he debated wether to answer that question when he felt so weak and vulnerable, then he felt it. It was small but just there enough, as if she'd touched it for a second. The thing he was missing. The thing he _needed_. "My head hurts but other than that I feel fine. I would feel better if you return what you took from me," he said, watching the woman intently.

Three eyes widened at what he said, confusion, fear, suspicion, all clouded their auras at once and it hurt his soul to sense it. He didn't mean to scare her, he didn't want her to fear him, he just wanted it back. He reached out to the older woman, motioning to pat the fist that clutched her pants while his aura sent waves of calm and no ill intent or anyone else. A strong hand stopped him before he could touch her, "How do you know that? Who are you?"

His gaze moved from the woman to the silver haired male, his aura reeking of protective intentions. "I don't know who I am," he answered truthfully. Kakashi's visible eye widened and he released him. He sighed and leaned back against the hospital bed.

He closed his eyes, rubbing his face in exhaustion. "If you don't even know who you are how do you know something was taken from you?" the blond asked.

He shrugged, "I might not recall who I am but somethings you don't need to remmeber to know. I can feel the absense in my soul, almost like a part is missing. And frankly I want it back." He gazed at the blond, sapphire eyes glaring at her. "I might not know any of you people, but I can tell your dangerous. More so than most people. That means you're dangerous to me, and since I have no idea who, or where I am, that makes me cagey. I would be grateful if it was returned." Before something bad happens, went unsaid.

The blond narrowed her eyes at the youth. He'd breifly terrified her, but then she felt calm and just knew that this young man meant no harm to anyone in her village. "We'll return what we took if you answer my questions."

The boy shrugged again, oddly calm despite not knowing himself and in an unfamilair place with strangers, what kind of place did they summon this kid from?

"It will return to me eventually," he said, a confidence he knew to be true as he said it. "But I will answer your question if you answer mine, oba-san(aunty)."

* * *

_In a desert somewhere_

_Why do the Kami insist on making me their plaything? _Kagome wondered to herself, as a dozen shinobi surrounded her. A young woman with spiky blond pigtails and a fan as tall as herself strapped to her back and a young man with face paint beside her.

"Come with us and answer our Kazekage's questions willingly or we will have to bring you in by force," said the young man with face paint.

Kagome smiled at the young man, it's sharp edge oblivious to the shinobi watching her. "No way in hell."


	5. Chapter 5 Deals with Demons, So CUTE!

_**Blahah=**_Demon Language

**Blahah= **More than one person speaking at the same time

_Blahah= _Thoughts

* * *

_Outside Suna_

Kagome smiled at the stunned shinobi, they'd obliviously hadn't been expecting that. Course she bet none of them came from another plane of existence chasing after their little brother who was summoned by someone in _this_ plane. Banryu's aura fluctuated with joy at her words, while Hiitsuki gave her equivalent of a chuckle; causing her sword to shake in her sheath, the shinobi nervously gazed at it.

Kagome chucked at their expressions, "What? None of you ever seen a sentient blade before? They're really a lot of fun, even if some of them don't have the best personalities." Banryu's aura became indignant. She caressed his handle, "Now, now Banryu, you know I and Hiitsuki adore you. Only Totosai could make a weapon as wonderful, and he said he'd sooner allow Sesshomaru to melt him with poison than make another like you and Sou'gun again."

"Only Kage level shinobi can even hope to control sentient blades. Stop lying wench and come with us while we're still in a forgiving mood," said face-paint.

Kagome tilted her head to the side, much like a curious puppy, before giving the boy an indulgent smile. "No way in hell you makeup obsessed bastard."

Said bastard jaw dropped a choking sound coming from him, the woman next to him turning away, trying to muffel her giggles. The man quickly gathered himself and glared at her, "Whoever said that I was giving you the choice wench? No one is allowed into the village, especially not weak looking wenches like you."

Kagome frowned at the man, his crass language reminding her of the foul-mouthed hanyou that she used to travel with so long ago. Banryu, the more violent and violate of her sentient, along with the most temperamental, lashed out to the man with its aura. A large gash appearing on the man's odd clothing. She felt a grim kind of amusement at his burnt clothing, ignoring the spike in suspicion and tensing of the shinobi surrounding her. She must have spent too much time with Sesshomaru.

"What the hell?" the man said, touching the tear as if needing to physically feel it was real.

"It would be safer for you not to insult my person. Banryu doesn't take well to people insulting me, a product from his last master I'm afraid. He was quiet protective and held a strike first ask questions later approach, you could say he has a bit of an attitude problem. Course it's never a good thing to antagonize strangers," Kagome said glaring at the man.

The man looked like he was going to curse at her when the blonde beat him to it, "who are you? How did you manage to hurt Kankuro without using any jutsu or weapons? What village are you from and why are you wearing such odd clothing?"

"Shut up Temari! She's a intruder! She could be from a village to gather information on Suna to prepare for a attack while we're weak from dealing with those monsters!"

'_Village? Jutsu? _Kagome thought a confused frown. She'd never heard those terms used before but by the casual way that they were said it seemed common. She sighed mentally, _wherever you where taken is quiet a strange place, ototo._

Kagome narrowned her eyes at the still argueing pair, taking in the males oblivous tension along with the others surrounding her their auras almost screaming exhaustion and fear. '_He's tense, _all_ of them are afraid and tense. These monsters that he speaks of must have never been seen before by peaope from this plane. But the only things I've senesed since arriving are weak E level youkai, it wouldnt take more than a brush of my aura or a blast of spirit energy to defeat them. So why is he so distraught?_ she thought with a thoughtful frown.

Kagome sighed, brushing her fingers through her long blue black hair. This place didn't make any sense! The ningens obliviously knew how to defend themseleves, she could feel spirit energy in the ningen surrounding her, some even had traces of youki in thier auras, and weak youkai were all around. Plus she couldn't sense a barrier of any kind to seperate the worlds. If these ningen thought it difficult to take on such weak youkai their reki users must have as little Ki as those back in the Ningenkai, heck even their spirit energy users must be very weak. Finding Sota seemed to become a more difficult task than she initially thought.

And what was wrong with the way she dressed? The blonde female was wearing a kimono too. Her armor was just on top of her haoiri.

"You shut up Kankuro! If she was from another village she'd have a haiate and attack us no questions asked-"

The blonde temari rambled to the painted male, Kankuro, about how she wasn't an enemy, the way she was arguing made Kagome feel like she posed no threat to them. She didn't know wether to be glad that someone wasn't just attacking her, or miffed that she was deemed 'non-threatening'.

Well, she was threatening, just not in a way that these ningen understood at the moment. One didn't live through the Feudal Era without being powerful or protect the Shikon no Tama for as long as she did without being capable of destroying truly powerful beings. But her mother did teach her manners, and not matter how much she wanted to interrupting them, it was rude. The other shinobi were still tense watching her like a hawk. Banryu was getting agitated by the arguing couple, his aura reflecting a desire to maim and destroy those surrounding them. Maybe she should leave while they argued, Sota wasn't getting foud any faster while she waited.

"Temari, Konkuro."

Kagome looked away from the two to gaze at the newest addition to the little welcoming party she found herself in. The new person had hair as red as blood, a red mark in the kanji of 'love' on his forehead, and eyes of teal with thick black rings. A red trech coat covered a lean frame with a thick gourd strapped on his back. Youki laced his aura more than anyone else she could sense. Though it was much lower than Kagome had experienced it still felt like Tanuki(racoon), and ningen.

"Garra," the blond, Temari, said, bowing in acknowledgement.

_Must be hanyou, _she concluded, taking in this 'Garra's aura and youki. But why's a hanyou in a command position? Most full blooded youkai she knew prefered to have a full youkai heir before they mated a ningen and produced hanyou. Call her calloused but she understood why. Hanyou were hated and while some were stronger than C-class youkai they had nothing on the A or S class that ruled the Makai. Plus with their unstable blood they were often killed on sight and young, by ningen and youkai alike. But this one had a large amount of youki, he was strong.

'Garra' didn't look at the blond instead keeping eye contact with her. Strong and smart, good, Kagome thought.

"Who you are you that you would hold up my shinobi from their duties?" Garra asked, his eyes traveling up and down her body. His aura condensed around him with curiosity, she could see soft looking ears, the same color as his hair, twitch from on-top his head.

Kagome couldn't help it, she squealed. Appearing in front of the red headed male faster than any of the shinobi could see and crushing the young man's head to her chest. "You're so CUTE!" she cooed, petting the male's blood colored locks, fingers ghosting over unseen furry appendages. "And your hair is so _soft_! What's with all you hanyou having such soft hair? I'm jealous."

Kagome didn't even notice the shocked looks that all the shinobi had on their faces, or the way that Garra seemed to tense in her hold while she petted his hair.

"Your sire must have been a very powerful Taiyoukai to have such a color, and your youki! Goodness, it's been decades since I've seen such potential in a hanyou, let alone a Tanuki hanyou. I always thought they preferred to stay in their part of the Makai. Tell me cub, who was your sire? I've met most of the Taiyoukai back with the Inu no Taisho, Sesshomaru-sama, and none looked like you."

Kagome jumped away from the young male, sharp looking weapons portruding form the ground where she'd been only a moment ago. The shinobi along with Temari and Kankuro circled Garra, ready to defend him the moment that Kagome got close. The young man's teal eyes narrowed and his youki rose, "Who are you? How are do you know what I am? Why are you in my village?"

Now she was even more confused, her eyes gazed at Garra, thoughtful and curious. "I am Kagome no Shikon," she answered, waiting for the flash of recognition, or fear, that usually came from her name. Nothing. The cub's eyes and aura showed neither. Where exactly was she and her brother brought that they had never even heard of her? "I am looking for someone, he was brought here, somewhere, and I need to find him. I was traveling through when your... 'shinobi' as you call them, came upon me, and sought to detain me."

'_The caged bird of four souls?_' "What are you?" Temari demanded, not sure how she was supposed to take this new development from the stranger that she'd been defending. While the knowledge that Garra had been Jinchuriki of the Ichibi wasn't classified only a select few knew that he still contained a portion of the Ichibi's strange chakra.

"Now that is a question," Kagome muttered to herself before addressing the red head once again. "Tell me cub, are your senses so dulled from living among ningen and not your own kind that you cannot tell what I am?"

Garra stood, uncorking his gourd, "I don't care what you are. Your a stranger in my village and carry odd weapons; you will be brought to the inquisitors and interrogated. If you don't answer them-"

"Kazekage-sama! Over yonder!"

Everyone turned, the ninjas tensing further as a ominous dark cloud came in their direction. Some with better eyesight could see the blurry shapes of evil creatures as they twisted and turned among the others of the horde.

"Barricade Suna! Protect the villagers!" Garra ordered. "Hai Kazekage-sama!" All but Temari and Kankuro fled from Garra's side to obey.

Temari turned to her, readying her fan for what she knew might be the last fight of her life, and Kankuro readied his puppets. "You should leave Shikon-san, these monsters are no match for a mere traveler," said Garra, gathering his chakra laced sand for battle.

All three were surprised when the female traveler just walked in front of them, as if unconcerned of the horde of creatures quickly coming towards them, her back to the horde. "I have a proposition for you cub," Kagome said.

"We don't have time to listen to you wench! Get out of the way or you'll end up food for those _things_," Kankuro said.

Kagome ignored the boy for the young hanyou, who looked almost curious, "What proposition?"

She gave him a small smile, "Simple cub, I get rid of the horde behind me and help you protect your village, and in exchange, you help me search for the one I'm looking for. You have quiet a bit of potential for a hanyou, if I find you worthy perhaps I'll even show you how to control your youki. How about it?"

"Wench, we don't got time for making deals!"

"Kankuro's right it's almost here," Temari cried. Garra ignored both of his siblings in favor of starring at the young woman in front of him. He'd been battling them for months now, and each time they arrived, more and more of his people lost their lives. Suna wouldn't last much longer and they couldn't call upon their allies for aid because they were dealing with the same problem. Now here was this onna that just appeared and said that she would help his village and rid them of the horde behind her, just to help look for someone? He sighed, he had no choice.

"I, Subaku no Garra, accept," he said. The horde almost apon them.

"Garra!" "Kazekage-sama!"

Kagome smiled at the young man, turning to face the horde. "Very good, cub. Now," she drew Banryu from his sheath, the large halberd glowing purple with pink flashes that resembled lightning, with joy, "see the power I am offering."

Kagome swung Banryu in a half cirlce, using the momentum to bring the large weapon above her and twirling it. As it sped up she channeled more of her pink reki, melding it perfectly with the purple of Banryu's demonic ki. "Ryu no Ikari(Dragon rage)!" A bright dragon covered in pink and purple scales flew from her glowing weapon, it's iridecent white eyes crackling with power. It flew straight into the horde, a sky splitting roar falling from it's jaws.

The cries of the horde as they were purified by her attack could be heard for miles. Her power in the form of a pink and purple dragon didn't dissapate until the every last low level youkai were nothing more than dust on the wind. When they were all gone Kagome slowed Banryu's twirling and settled the giant weapon on her shoulder, completely at ease with what she just did. The three before her were far from it.

Kagome gave the red head a grin, exposing her tiny fangs. "Well that was easy. Now cub, show me this village. I must know the place I will be protecting before we can get to your part of our deal."

Kankuro placed himself in front of Garra, his puppet on his left and Temari on his right, "What in all the _hells_ are you wench?!"

"It seems that the ningen here are even more spiritually null than back home," Kagome said, looking at the three in a bored and black manner, much like how one would discuss the weather. "I'll give you a hint; what is the oppitiste of youkai? What can destroy them with a mean touch? What is called by the Kami and born to do their will? What is the answer?"

"Miko," Garra answered, instincts screaming at him to get away from such a powerful and dangerous woman, and shivered in uncharacteristic fear.

Kagome gave him a fierce kind of smile, "Kagome Hirgurashi, the Shikon no Miko. Nice to meet you."

* * *

_Konoha- Uchiha Compound_

He could feel it from his room. It filled his sense, skirting over his spine like lightning, filling his being with wild undulation. _SHE'S HERE! SHE'S COME_!

"Hey, Sota, are you okay?" Sasuke asked from the other side of his door.

He tightened his hold on his katanna willing himself to calm down from the utter joy he was feeling. "I've fine Uchiha-san, just a little tired. I'm going to rest for a bit," he said, his voice coming out much calmer than he was actually feeling.

"Hn. Nii-san is making dinner tonight, make sure to come down and eat or Hidan will take it all."

"Thank you Uchiha-san," he said. It wasn't until his aura moved away from his door that he laid down on his bed. His katanna shook in it's sheath, like it was trembling.

He could feel the same fierce joy coming from the aura of his blade. Whoever had sent out that pulse of reki had so much power. It had a crazed but controlled feel to it, but underneath that was a sweetness that he swore that he'd felt somewhere before. But where? Where had he felt such power and control, such insanity and gentleness?

Not for the first time he cursed his amnesia. He wanted to remember more, when he had Byakuro returned to him a little had come back. His name and training was what came back the easiest, but he couldn't remember anyone from his past. He didn't know who taught him, if he had any friends, what he did as a job, family, nothing. All he got was a deep sense of unease whenever he forced himself to try and remember. Otherwise it was all a blank.

Not for the first time he curled around Byakuro, the steady pulse of his katanna soothing him to sleep. And he dreamed, though he wouldn't remember when he woke, of a young woman with his sapphire eyes and blue black hair teaching him kendo for the first time. Love and pride in her eyes as she watched him.

* * *

Hope all of you liked the update, sorry that it took so long. School started and already i'm swamped with homework. Don't worry I haven't given up on his Fanfic just yet! , I look forward to you reviews, please remember constructive criticism is welcome and that characters will have some oc-ness it is my story after all. THANK YOU! ^^


	6. Chapter 6 A Sibling's Soul

**_Thank you all for the continued support! This fan-fic has already gotten over 7,000 views and I'm glad to see all the reviews for more updates. I hope that all you readers keep supporting Never Mess With An Elder Sister. Please remember to give constructive criticism in your reviews. Thank you ,_**

**_Blahah_**=Demon Language

**Blahah**= More than one person speaking at the same time

_Blahah_= Thoughts

* * *

Itachi watched Sota as he practiced inside the dojo attached to the manor, though he could only make out the boy's blurred image due to his sight from what he could see the boy was good. Too good for him to have been not to have been trained, by someone of great skill no less.

The boy's strikes were smooth and without hesitation, that odd blade of his sliced through the air lazily. The causualness the youth sproted with his training gi and blue hakama as he practiced spoke of familiarity. It didnt really surprise iItachi, Kenjutsu was a time consumeing and deadly art, he and his sensei likely spent many hours a day in a dojo.

As Sota continued his strikes went faster, gaining speed till noise of the blade through air likened to a howl. Itachi wondered idly if the technique the boy used was how his katanna got it's name.

Byakuro, the white wolf.

It was an oddly fitting name. Mysterious and dangerous, with it's own kind of charm. Much like the young man that weild it.

Itachi had been surpirsed when the Hokage had first introduced them and despite Sota being unarrmed at the time his instincts had screamed at him to get away from the boy or destroy him. It was an intense fight or flight reaction that Itachi had ever expereiced even with the Sannin Jiraya, Orochimaru had made his skin crawl in disgust, but never fear.

And when the ravan haired young man had turned to greet him...

Those sapphire eyes of his spoke of danger, the way he moved with practiced ease and economic grace screamed warrior, but than the youth had given him a freindly smile, and his conflicting instincts became even more confusing. So he ignored the chaos of them, they weren't helping.

Tsunade had ordered him to watch the youth, who she called Sota, telling him it was a S-class mission. He could sense her tension around Sota and also her confusion. Obliviously the Hokage didn't know wether the boy was going to be of help to them. She also clearly didn't trust him despite being the one to bring him to Konoha in the first place. Though at the time Itachi didn't know what made the Hokage so wary of the youth, despite what his own instincts were screaming at him. He didn't look that strong despite the way the youth moved.

It was only on the way back to the compound that he understood why the Hokage was so wary of the boy.

While Sota might not have had any memory of who he was or where he came from, the youth was extremely _aware_ of everyone and everything around him. And he was strange innate understanding about the people around him, calmly taking everything in. If Itachi hadn't known better he would have said that he was a very skilled Jounin. But the Hokage's medical exam showed that the youth had no chakra and no connections to any ninja clans.

_Sota might not have remembered anything about himself or his relationships but the boy certianly didn't forget his trainging,_ Itachi thought as he sensed him perform a final jab to his imaginary enemy.

Sota finished the last kata and sheated his blade. "Observing me again, Uchiha-san? Don't you have better things to do than watch me practice?"

The quesiton was asked with amusement, not frustration, meaning he knew exactly why Itachi was watching him. And found it amusing that he, a mear teenager, was considered dangerous. Especially considering those around him were S-class missing nin. "Tsunade-sama ordered me to watch you, observing others while training tells me much."

Sota shrugged before joining him on the edge of the dojo. He handed the youth a towel and some water, which he took and drank greedily from the canteen. "Really. Tell me Uchiha-san have you found anything interesting about the mystery that is myself?"

"Nothing that I can tell you Sota, only the Hokage can know my findings when she reads my report."

The youth gave him a pout, "Now that's no fun Uchiha-san, how am I supposed to remember things if no one tells me anything?"

"Naruto tells you things," he pointed out, "as does almost of the females that design to speak to you. If you didn't speak to them they wouldn't be as freindly towards you as they are."

"I was only trying to be nice! How was I supposed to know that they'd turn into crazy stalkers that try to steal my underclothes?! And don't bring up my stalkers when most of the crazy females in this village are part of the 'I *heart* Uchiha-sama' fan club'." Both males shivered, those females were insane. "You and Sasuke-san are as cold as icebergs to them and they still go nuts! And Naruto dosen't really seem to want to be around me at all, though I cant figure why he keeps coming back," he muttered the last part quietly to himself.

"He likes you," Itachi replied. It was true. The blond Jinkturi did like Sota, a little more than necessary in his opinioin.

"He's afraid of me," Sota countered, his sapphire eyes shinning with sadness. "I don't even know what I did to scare him so badly. I can't remeber ever meeting him, so I don't even know if I ever did anything to him."

Itachi just shrugged, Sota's guess was as good as anyone's. Naruto's behavior since his arrival had been odd, more so than usual for the blond.

The Kyubbi Jinchūriki constantly found ways to be around Sota but whenever they did spend an time together he was quiet. Granted Naruto usually showed up during Sota's daily practice and meditation whenever he finished his missions. But the blond never left during such activites, Itachi often found Naruto curled up near the sapphire eyed youth when he was in deep meditation, though he always moved away when Sota began returning to conciousness. It was very out of character for the normally boisterous youth.

Sota sighed, "I don't like that he's afraid of me Uchiha-san. Naruto-san is a very nice person but whenever he's around me it's like he doesn't want to be. Did Tsunade-san order him to watch me also?"

"No," Itachi replied, a little surprised that he was actually telling him, "I was the only one given the mission of observing you. There aren't enough ninja anymore to assign more, though the attacks seem to be lessening for some reason."

"Ah," Sota said, sitting down on one of the tami mats and preparing to meditate. "That's good to hear; the village and people can finally have some room to recover."

The youth removed his sword from his side and placed it on the mat next to him. He then placed his hands on his lap, loosly stepled togetehr with his thumbs barely touchin.

"You seem concered about Konoha," Itachi said, it was a question but more of a statment.

Sota took a deep breath and slowly let it out, his eyes becoming half lidded and his body beginging to relax, "Of course I'm concerend Uchiha-san. Tsunade-san and Konoha has taken me in and cared for me while I was injured. And while I don't like that I'm seen as a threat, neither you or anyone has harmed me in any way."

"You're very trusting."

"Not trusting Uchiha-san. Choosing to trust until given a reason not to."

"A wise saying. Still, that's a very optimistic outlook. Many nin woudln't agree with it."

Sota's eyes lowered and a small frown was on his face, "Good thing I'm no ninja then."

_He's right, _Itachi thought starring at the relaxed and peaceful looking young man._ Open. Trusting. Relaxed. Sota is definatly no ninja. No nin would be so relaxed in a possiblly hostile environement._

From what itachi had observed he wasn't some sort of 'holy person' either. Sota simply didn't have the attitude of one.

One, he liked the attention of females, Sasuke had seen him work on his kenjutsu with Tenten and debate literature with the Hyuga heiress Hinata, even if he avoided his quickly growing fan-base like the plague they were. The boy was better at avoiding the more obessive of them than he had been at his age, though he was hopeless at detecting their traps.

Itachi had to stop himself from chuckeling at the memory of Sota dangeling off the ground by his ankel by a simple trap while a small oup of his fan girls tried to get peices of him. It reminded him of someone dangeling a peice of meat over a pit of ravenous beasts.

Two, he jelously protected Byakuro and three, fought with Hiden when he stole his food. He did it with such a passion that Hiden had paniced quiet badly.

From what he knew, Monks or Preists were said to haave given up material desires, vioence and female companionship and dedicated themselves wholly to serving the Kami.

Sota didn't seem to have any religous tendencies, but those might have been lost along with his memory. He didn't even have the ability to sense youkai like the legends spoke of nor any hatred towards youkai. If he did the boy would have known about all the youkai attacks before they were even spotted by Konoha's nin and he wouldn't let Naruto anywhere near him with the Kyuubi sealed within him. All in all except for his skill in Kenjutsu the boy was normal.

Much like a regular civillain, actually.

Itachi frowned at the direction his thoughts were going. If Sota was a regular young man why did the summoning work and bring him here? Jiraiya had said that it was designed to summon a holy person.

But Sota had none of the markers.

Could they have done the summoming wrong? The toad Sannin did say that the technique had been written in ancient Japanese, it was an dead language it wouldn't have been difficult to make a mistake even having the help of his toad summons and his own skills in the language.

The thought made Itachi wreck with guilt. He'd never involved civillians even when he was working for the Akatsuki as a missing nin, certainly not children.

He probally had family waiting for him. Or looking for him. Itachi recalled the bloodied state the ravenette had been summoned in. Someone who had care enough about the youth to teach him Kenjutsu would definatly be looking for him if they'd known how injured he'd been.

THe dojo door opened, "Nii-san," said Sasuke. He saw his brother and 'guest' sitting quietly on the floor. Though the elder Uchiha seemed to be deep in thought, from the small frown on his noramlly stoic face they weren't pleasing ones. His guest was meditating, something he often did.

"The Hokage wishes to see you."

"Hn?" Itachi grunted, forcing himself from his thoughts at the sound of his ototo. "Why?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Tsunade-sama said it's urgent. Something about an update on Suna and strange youkai being sighted near the border to fire country."

Itachi nodded and got up from his spot on the floor, before he left the dojo he looked his ototo in the eye and tilted his head in the direction of the youth meditiating on the floor. 'Watch him.'

Sasuke nodded, 'understood'

* * *

Sasuke watched his brother leave, never looking back. His body tensed, like it was afraid. That was ridiculous. He is Uchiha Sasuke, former student to Orochimaru and younger brother to the youngest and most feared ANBU captain in the entire history of Konoha. _Uchiha's fear nothing!_

"...ha..."

He swiveled around, meeting the gi clad back of his 'guest' as he trembled with amusement. He glared at him with narrow, distrusting eyes.

"And the younger brother still seeks recognition from the elder, even after all the blood that's been spilled. I must say your more forgiving than I thought Sasuke," Sota said, eye still closed as he continued to meditate.

_This gaki... _Sasuke gritted his teeth to stop himself from snarling at the boy. Instead he gave him the moist furious glare that he could at the youths white clad back.

"Nii-san had his reasons," he said fighting the keep the bitterness from his tone.

" 'Reasons', Hn?" Sota murrmered, "and you forgive him because of thoes reasons of his? Or are you really that desperate not to be alone that you would condone the murder of your entire family just to have your 'nii-san' back?"

Sasuke said nothing, not indicating in any way the pulsing wound that was hit by Sota's words.

"Thats not it hm? Then it must be something else. What do you hope to gain by welcoming your Nii-san home Sasuke? Acceptance?"

_Shut up..._

"Reilf?"

_Shut up._

"A sense of belonging you haven't felt since long before the very grounds that you walk on were stained with the blood of innocent and guilty alike?

"Shut up."

"Not that either, damn and i thought that was the answer. What could it be then? Your brother, the man who killed your entire family and the person you dedicated the majority of your life to killing, just comes back one day confessing that he'd been ordered to kill them all by your Hokage... And you welcome him back, just like that? You really are more forgiving than you seem."

"Shut. Up."

"Or perhaps you hope that your precious big brother will protect you from the dreams? The nightmares that you wake to, screaming, you think that he can save you from them? That he can protect you from the guilt eating away at you from their deaths and being so blind to the truth?"

Sasuke saw red. He lunged at teh meditating young man, grabbing the front of his gi he pushed him down till Sota was on his back onthe dojo floors. He hovered over the youth, straddling and pinning him to the floor, his kattanna poised in oblivious threat over the youths throat.

Calm sapphire eyes opened to meet furious red, three black tomoe spinning rapidly. Breath coming out in furious pants.

How sasuke loathed this gaki. He hated the blue black hair so similar to his own. He hated the freindly smile that the boy gave to everyone around him... He hated how those eyes... how they looked at him, throughout him... how they seemed to pick apart his thoughts that he buried deep inside of himself never to see the light of day...

How he hated... that everything he said was true.

"Sasuke."

He wanted to hate the gaki pinned under him. To yell and snarl at him and say that he couldn't understand, because he didnt have anything to remember to give him nightmares. Unlike him, who had had nightmares caused by the one person he had loved the most in his life, and that continued even now to tear at his very tamashi(soul) till he woke up biting his pillow or wrist just trying to muffel the screams.

"Why do you ask me when ou arelady know the answer?" Sasuke muttered quietly, his fist releaseing him and putting his katanna back in the sheath tied to the smal of his back. Coal black eyes waiting for answers instead of furious red.

"Because your past is still chaining you Sasuke," Sota answered with a frown, like it was the most oblivious thing in the world to him. "It's strangling your tamashi and sanity even now, preventing you from inheriting your birthright and destroying yourself. If you let it continue there wont be anything left for the people that actually care enough about 'Sasuke' to help."

Now he was confused. "What are you talking about? What birthright? How do you know this?"

The smile Sota gave him reminded Sasuke of the first time he saw the Kyuubi sealed inside his best freind. It was a malicious 'I-know-something-you-don't' smile, canines longer than should have been humanly possible glittered like ivory knives. His eyes even seemed to become slits, looking at him with madness and amusement.

"Because unlike you ninja who cull their Sight to the truth around them, I can _See_. And I refuse to be _blinded_ to the standards the ningen living on this plane," Sota snarled, a light blue glow coming off the boy's pinned form.

Not knowing what exactly the glow was Sasuke jumped off the youth, Sharingan eyes activated once again.

Sota got up from the floor, whipping imaginary dust off his blue hakama before looking up at him once again. "I will not become a puppet to be used by ningen that aren't even aware of the death sentence they've sighed from the moment I came here. I rather like you, Sasuke, for all your taint and hatred. I would hate to see your tamashi broken when _she_ finally arives and exacts her price."

He fought back the shiver that look and words brought him. Tenseing when the youthapproached him. "Who the _hells_ are you?!"

Sota stopped his approach, and tilted his head to the side, much like a curous puppy. The slit eyes and sharp canines only seemed to enhance the image the younger male presented.

_Cute... _

_What the hell?_ Sasuke thought to himself, eyes widening at the observation.

"I'm Sota, I thought you already knew that Uchiha-san," Sota said his features returing to normal once again.

He resumed his aproach and the youngest Uchiha male trembeled as Sota passed him.

_Don't move Don't breath. Don't make a snigel sound. _

Instincts long buried unconsioucsly recognized the truely threatening predator within the seemingly weak human shell. And recognized that he couldn't even being to truly comprehend the being they'd brought to Konoha.

*Click*

The sound of the dojo door closing behind him was the signal that his body had been waiting for and shaking knees supported by fear and streangth of will alone finally sunk to the floor. Sasuke hunched on all fours, willing his heart to spot it's hummingbird pace. His body shivering in a fear that he'd only felt twice before, the first time when his brother murdered their clan and second, when he'd met the snake Sannin for the first time in the Forest of Death.

He had a horroble feeling that the Hokage had summond something far more deadly than the Snake Sannin to Konoha.

And _Sota_ seemed to know it.

* * *

_In Suna_

Kagome sat atop the Kazekage tower, letting the hot desert breeze lift her raven locks and cool her temper. She gazed past her shikigami, letting the information it brought back sink in as she starred unseeingly to the light purple swell of her sheild she placed around Suna flicker. Like it could sense it's mistress's distress and anger.

"Kagome-sama I apologize, but we've been unable to locate Sota-sama," said her shikigami. The long, narrow body was much like a snake only with pupil-less blue eyes adorned a snake like head edged with wavy gils and four finger-like appendages lightly gripped her hand, much like her former incarnation's Tamashi Sutira(soul stealers).

Kagome sighed, bringing up her other hand to scratch lightly behind her shikigami's gill. It crooned in pleasure at it's mistress's touch wrapping it's serpentine body around the miko's shoulders.

_Oh, ototo where are you? No matter how many shikigami I send out or how far I spread my senses I can't find you. It's as if your reiki is masked from my sight. I wish that I could at least know that you are alright in this strange world we've come to,_ Kagome thought with a heavy heart.

She sensed tankuni approaching her spot and immediately knew who it was.

"Kagome-san," Gaara greeted

"Cu- Sorry, Gaara-kun," Kagome replied, turning her body slightly to see the red head approaching her spot. "Would you like to join me? The sunset is particularly pretty today and against the shield it looks even more stunning."

"Aa," The red headed Kazekage answered his sensei, coming to sit beside her.

Gaara looked at the strange serpent like creature on his sensei's hand with caution and curiosity, he'd never seen such a thing before.

Kagome sensing his curiosity said, "This is one of my Shikigami. Properly trained Mikos can use them to help gather information on the surrounding auras and gather the tamashi of the dead to pass them on to the next life."

Gaara starred at the creature with a little apprehension, though most wouldn't notice. "It can steal tamashi?" The memories of Shukaku's tamashi being torn from his flesh was still fresh in his mind. To say that he didn't want to have anything to do with tamashi stealing creatures would be a huge understatement.

Kagome chuckled, "No, no, Gaara-kun. My shikigami cannot steal souls of the living, as you fear. They are basically puppets charged with a little of my reiki. Reiki attracts and calms restless spirits, the tamashi of the dead would follow them to me so I can give them a blessing and send them off the the Rekai. They cannot force the tamashi of the living from their bodies."

At her explanation Gaara relaxed and gazed out at the barrier that now surrounded his village. Sometimes it was like the youkai attacks never happened with Kagome's power surrounding and protecting the village. Sure more youkai tried attacking the village but the barrier purified them all before they even breached the village's walls.

"The barrier."

"Hm? What about it?" Kagome questioned.

"How long would it last if you were gone?"

Kagome cocked her head to the side, thinking. "If I had a focal point to store a portion of my reiki in it could last up to two months before it weakened to the point that it would be unable to function. Without it, a barrier of this size and power would last 3-4 weeks max."

"That's not a lot of time," Gaara noticed.

Kagome shrugged, "This barrier is running on my reiki alone Gaara-kun. Maintaining it is probably the equivalent of that toad summoning you told me your friend does, you said his name is Naruto, right? If I could incorporate another energy source to it it would last much longer but none of the ningen in your village have enough spirit energy in their tamashi to even consider it."

"What would happen if you did?" he asked, her face gave him the answer before she said a word.

"The energy levels needed to maintain the barriers protective properties alone would put so much strain on their tamashi that it would kill them. Then once their bodies were dead it would bind them to the barrier until their tamashi was completely destroyed. Basically it would suck up the energy of their tamashi till there wouldn't be anything left. Such a fate is not pleasant and a great sin to the Kami."

Gaara nodded, astounded that the petite woman sitting besides him was so powerful. _No_ _wonder she can handel those weapons of hers with such ease, _he thought.

"Your 'reiki' then, where does that come from?"

"My tamashi," Kagome answered casually.

Gaara's face twitched minutely in confusion. Kagome giggled at the red heads expression, releasing her shikigami to return to it's task she patted the red head's arm.

"Gaara-kun, you have to understand that my tamashi, your own, and the tamashi of regular ningen are very different. My tamashi is very large, even for the most powerful of Miko. It can expand to the point that it cover the entire tower and I still wouldn't feel a thing. Most ningen tamashi are very small, the average is the size of a marble. Your own isn't that much bigger due to your hanyou nature but it's bigger than an average ningen."

"How much?"

Kagome starred at him for a second, her eyes slitting a little in a way that reminded Gaara of an animal.

"I would say about the size of a your fist. It might not seem like it's much bigger but you already know the difference such a little change can make," Kagome said with a smile.

Gaara gave the woman a small smile back, but then her sheath began to shake. Her smile fell off her face and she frowned at the sheath that held her katanna.

She grabbed the blade's hilt, focusing on what Hiitsuki was trying to tell her weilder. She didn't even notice when all her shikigami returned, glowing like silver ribbons in the fading light.

Gaara watched her warily, though he knew that she wouldn't harm him or anyone in the village after all that she'd done her powers were still mostly unknown to him.

He frowned at his thoughts, they sounded much like how he'd been treated when Shukaku resided inside him. He woudln't allow himself to go dow that road with the woman who'd taught and helped his village so much.

Kagome released Hiitsuki's hilt and gave Gaara the most heartwarming and brilliant smile he'd ever seen. "I've found him!"

"Where?"

The sword shook again, and Kagome passed on the message. "North, about 5 days journey from the desert. Smeelling of trees and death and ningen." Her brows furrowed then, "My shikigami report youki tainting the earth, calling for a greater being. Much like Suna when I first arrived."

"Konoha," Gaara breathed.


	7. Chapter 7 Awakenings and Reunions

**I felt like being nice, that's why i updated agin so early. I'm sorry loyal readers but don't expect this to happen again. I would love to update again so quickly but the inspiration fairy won't agree with me on it. Neither will the schedule goblin. He decided that many tests and projects should be due next week and I got to get started on them or my folks will kill me. **

**Thank you all for the wonderful words of encouragement. I'm happy to say that Never Mess With An Elder Sister has reached over 10,000 hits! I gotta say I'm very proud that My fic is popular e ought to ever so many hits in only 3 months.**

**Have to address something's that come up in the reviews that I've gotten though, don't worry it's nothing bad.**

**NO, this is _not_ a yaoi between Sota and Sasuke. There will be no scene having to do with yaoi _at all_ anyone having concerns about reading that don't worry. If someone like yaoi and my writings check out my other fan fic, STRANGE TIMES, INDEED, its not as popular as this one but it's getting there.**

**Course a Sota/Sasuke might be a good idea for this plot. So thank you Foxluna, you've given me brain plot. (It might become a little side story though, I have to see if the idea takes root, but it won't be in this fic)**

**Updates will be happening people! ^,^. Keep your pants on.**

**as always I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto though I wish I did.**

**_Blahah_**=Demon Language

**Blahah**= More than one person speaking at the same time

_Blahah_= Thoughts

* * *

_Somewhere in the desert, 3 days from Konoha_

Kagome sliced though another E-level youkai that was foolish enough to try blocking her path. Sweat drops beaded her forehead from the hot desert sun, and she could feel it pool between her breasts and the small of her back underneath her layered haori. Banryu cut it right in half, innards spilling on the sandy dunes of the desert. Already the carcass was being swallowed by the sand and wind.

Thankfully no blood hit her or her clothes; she'd go crazy waiting for somewhere to wash the blasted gook off and she really didn't have the time for it.

Sand laced youki rushed past her, forming a barrier between her and another youkai that lunged from her side. She could hear bones being crushed and red liquid dripping into Gaara's sand.

"Thank ou Gaara-kun," she said to the red head approaching her from behind. He was wearing the same blood red trench coat he'd worn when they'd first met and didn't seem at all bothered by the heat. Unlike her.

_Lucky cub, _she thought enviously as she grabbed her billowing sleeve to wipe the sweat from her brow.

"You really aren't used to the desert are you Kagome-chan?" Temari asked, looking as unbothered by the heat as Gaara in her dark green kimono and giant fan strapped to her back.

She shook her head, "The only deserts I've been too are the ones past the northwest mountains in the uncharted areas of the Makai. Even then I only went there when I had an assignment, it didn't happen often. Most of the criminals hiding in the deserts of the Makai die quickly." She adjusted her grip on Banryu, her palms were sticky with sweat making the leather of her gauntlets clinging to her skin. It made holding onto her weapon troublesome.

"We have to hurry, daylight is fading," she added hoisting her halberd onto her shoulder and using her reiki to help her run across the unstable dunes. She could form an energy ball like Sesshomaru to make traveling easier but Kagome had a feeling that she had to save as much energy as she could. She'd need all the power she could muster once they reached 'Konoha'.

A priestess' instincts were more often than not right. And that made Kagome feel edgy and worried.

Temari and Gaara rode on a moving platform of sand close besides her. They guided her since she didn't have any idea how to navigate the desert or where this 'Konoha' is. Sota's ki hadn't appeared since it's sudden presence two days ago so she couldn't track him by following his aura, and it would take longer than if she went looking for him by herself.

"There's still no reason to rush Kagome-chan, we'll arrive in Konoha in two days at the rate we're going," Temari said.

She jumped, sliding down the side of a tall dune. Much like snowboarding down a mountain, before resuming her running pace.

"No Temari we have to get out of this desert before night fall or we're going to be in big shit," Kagome shouted. The thought of wasteing more time made her gut clench in trepidation. Something was going to happen, she could feel it.

"I know that your worried for your brother Kagome-chan but I'm sure that if he's in Konoha he'll be alright. You said you trained him yourself and your amazingly powerful. He'll be able to take care of himself," Temari said trying to calm her slowly panicking friend.

"I _know_ that Temari," she snarled at the blond konoichi, not caring that the girl flinched at her slit sapphire eyes or her savage expression. "But Sota _isn't_ like Gaara, hell he isnt even like Kankuro! He'll be fine against any old youkai that find him, his ki would protect him no matter the situation. But reiki doesn't work against regular ningen! And whatever fighting skills he knows would barely injure one of your gennin with those jutsu of yours, let alone someone more powerful!"

_Trees had been crushed or torn from their stumps, jagged pieces of bark jutting upward where the rest of the tree was ripped off. The once grassy forest floor had burned areas, Hiei was responsible for those no doubt, and other areas had slash marks cut into the earth. That was from Sota, Kagome could feel the residue of Byakurō's attack at the edges. Kagome narrowed her eyes and focused on her ototo's aura, it was different._

"He's all alone in a foreign land, injured and weak, with barely enough skills to keep him alive!"

_Kagome touched the red mark on the tree, it was still wet to the touch. She probed it with her aura, hopping to find something, anything to lead her to her ototo. She visibly flinched back at what she felt. Her ototo had been in so much pain and his reki had been trying to fight off the possessed youkai._

"Your world is overrun my low-level youkai, your ningen barely have any understanding how to use spiritual energy against them and reiki is as non-existant here as where I come from! A person like Sota would be the perfect tool against such monsters. I won't let my ototo become a tool to be used by cowardly ningen!"

Temari flinched against the priestess' words. How often had she lain awake at night her thoughts running rampant in fear of the youkai that attacked her village, hoping praying for something to save them? She'd read the reports, seen the desperation in their villager's faces and their shinobi. Having someone like Kagome ans her brother would be a reprieve from the Kami themselves.

Other hidden villages would kill to have them offer their protection.

She as under no illusion that if Kagome hadn't offered her services in exchange for helping look for her ototo that Gaara and the others would have tried anything to get her to protect Suna. Forcing the young woman to become a living weapon against the youkai. Gaara wouldn't have liked it, would have sympathized with her a little, but he was the Kazekage and his duty was to protect Suna. He would have hated himself, but he would have forced Kagome into the same position he'd been in order to protect them.

Gaara tried not to let it show how much his sensei's words bother him. His thoughts were much like Temari's, but unlike his nee-san(older sister) he knew from his training sessions with Kagome that no one would have been able to force her to help Suna. She was too powerful, plus the woman was as stubborn as a pillar of stone. Although she did have one of the kindest hearts he'd ever seen, she would have slaughtered them all in a heartbeat if they had attempted to use her.

It was only because of her interest in him. That thought nearly made his face heat up he'd never had a woman interested in who he was before becoming Kazekage but Kagome didn't care, she barely knew what a Kage was! And that she needed people to explain the new wolrd she found herself in before looking for her ototo.

"Hurry," Kagome said, bringing back the two shinobi from their thoughts. Her eyes once more normal looking. "I can sense a forest, we're nearly there."

The two shinobii nodded and followed the priestess.

* * *

_That night_

Kagome tended the fire that Temari had made, adding another dried branch to keep it going strong so she'd have enough light to work with while she set up her wards.

The group had stopped in a natural glade a few miles from the desert. Gaara had said that they'd traveled the way to Konoha many times before the youkai came and this spot was were they often stopped for their first night out of the desert. Kagome didn't mind that they stopped, her body was sufficiently tired from running with only a minimal use of reiki smooth her travels. Plus the spot reminded her of the many little areas that she and her pack used to rest in when she'd been traveling so long ago to collect the shards of the Shikon.

A soft smile found it's way on her face at the memory. _Those had ben the days,_ she thought with nostalgia.

Quickly she set up her wards, keying them to alert her to youkai or ningen that wandered to closely to their camp. Kagome wasn't too worried about ningen finding them, no bandit or 'missing nin' would usually find a mark so close to the desert. The youkai would know not to mess with her and her pack, she was a powerful miko and to get near her would mean instant death. And unless the scent of youkai blood somehow got through Gaara's gourd even the E-levels knew not to mess with their natural predator.

She stood up, finished with her duties and made her way back to camp. Temari was rolling out a sleeping bag for herself and looking about ready to settle down. Gaara seemed content to dozing by her and the fire. His gourd was still attached to his back.

_Doesn't he ever take the thing off?_

Kagome moved to one of the thicker trees that made the glade's perimeter and unbuckled Banryu's sheath from her back. Settling down to care for her large weapon.

Her back supported nicely by the trunk of the tree and one fo the larger roots had grown a little higher than the others. Letting her rest one of her boot clad feet against it so she coud work more diligently. Hiitsuki remained in her obi as a precaution, the red feathers imprinted on the sheath glowing a darker red in the firelight. Kagome reached inside the layers of her haori and pulled out a midnight blue cloth bag tied together by a cord of kumo(spider) youkai silk. She undid the tie and pulled out a gray cloth covered in black smudges from use, a rectangle shaped sharpening stone and a vial of weapon oil Totosai had given her.

She coated the cloth with a little oil before massaging it into Banryu's blade in small circles before applying the stone to sharpen it's edges. The crackling sounds of the fire and her sharpening were the only ones in their small camp.

Soon Kagome relaxed, the familiar monotonous sound of the stone helped calm her tense mind and body.

"Kagome-san?"

"Hai Gaara-kun," Kagome replied absent-mindedly.

"Why are you so worried about your brother?" he questioned, unsure if this was normal behavior between younger and older siblings. Neither Temari or Kankuro had been so protective of him, but he had Shukaku sealed inside him at that point of his life. There had never been any reason to worry about him.

Kagome stopped working for a second before she started again, "It's just a feeling I have Gaara-kun. I've never been unable to sense Sota before. Even when he was working as a Relkai Tantai, I was knew where he was. That I can't anymore makes me uneasy. Very few things can block my senses. Either he's hiding his aura or something is wrong with it."

"Couldn't he just be hiding it?" Gaara asked, sitting up straighter to pay attention to the impromptu lesson.

"Your very curious Gaara-kun, much like a Kitsune kit," Kagome said with a chuckle before frowning and returning to the subject at hand, "Sota can't hid his aura. He lacks the necessary understanding of how his own aura differs from the natural world around him and how to adjust it in new situation. That's why he was working as a Rekai tantai, working with more intelligent youkai that are accustomed to hiding their aura from ningen in the Ningenkai. It would have given him the experience he needed to learn and expose him to new stimuli."

Gaara raised an eyebrow, "You let him work with youkai?" That was a new way of training.

"Sota needed the experience, and his teammates were youkai that were very skilled at concealing their aura from ningen and the spiritually aware. Such things I couldn't teach him. And I refused to just drop my ototo in the Makai until he figured it out for himself like I was forced to," Kagome said venomously, scrapping her stone a little too forcefully against the blade.

She inspected the damage, relieved to see that it was minimal. "Besides," Kagome continued. "the more intelligent youkai are rather nice beings, often arrogant, deadly, and prideful, but they won't eat you. The only ones that do are the ones you've seen are E-levels, they're lowest of the low, too stupid to be anything more than instinct and base desires. D-level aren't that much different, although some of them are capable of speech."

Kagome sighed and finished sharpening Banryu. Tucking the now immaculate weapon back in its sheath. The halberd's aura caressed her own in it's growing melancholy. "I wish I had stopped him from going that day, stopped him form being a Rekai Tantai. He saw it as a grand adventure, one fo the few chosen to help the Rekai keep peace between the three worlds. Like being some kind of super hero. Dumb gaki."

"Sota seems to have had an interesting life," Temari said. She couldn't imagine the things the young man seemed to have done in his short life.

"How long have you been listening?" Kagome asked the blond as she sat up in her sleeping bag.

"Since Gaara asked about Sota's 'aura'," Temari answered, slightly embarrassed for eavesdropping for so long. "It's interesting stuff. Though I don't understand half of what you two were talking about, a lot of the terms went over my head."

"You ninja are very sneaky beings," Kagome said, a teasing glint in her sapphire eyes. "It reminds me so much of my son."

Temari took a drink of water from her bottle, the words didn't register in her mind till she swallowed. She choked a little on the liquid when if finally did. "You have a SON?!"

Kagome raised an eyebrow, "Of course I do. He was a very handsome young man the last time I saw him, though he's of age the stubborn male refuses to marry and give me grandchildren to spoil."

Temari continued to cough, Gaara awkwardly patted her back. When she finally calmed down she looked at Kagome incredulously, "But you don't look older than 19! There's no way your son is old enough to marry and have kids!"

"Temari, I might _look_ 19 but I'm almost 520 years old," Kagome explained slowly, like one would explain a concept to a dimwitted child. She tilted her head to the side, pondering a line of thought she hadn't considered till that moment. "Probally older, it's hard to tell since I'm not completely sure where, or when, I am. That's the problem with traveling across the space/time continuum, you never know if your crossing space or time or both. But Shippo was in his 500's as well and he didn't look a day over 17. Then again he could be older now, it's confusing."

If Temari hadn't been sitting down already she would have fallen, "How the hell can you both be that old?! It's impossible!"

"It's actually not that strange," Kagome replied casually. "My son's a Kitsune youkai I adopted him when he was nothing more than a kit, and upper level youkai age physically at a much slower rate than ningen. The kami granted me immortality when I was 19 as a reward for all my good deeds and pure tamashi. I haven't physically aged a day since."

"I'm dreaming, yes, that must be it," Temari mumbled to herself, eyes looking more than a little glassy. "Or drunk, I'm just very drunk. Time for Temari to go night night." She plopped back down into her sleeping bag, denial seeped in her aura.

Kagome watched Temari's small 'freak out' with a great deal of amusement, even Gaara's black rimmed teal eyes glowed with a tiny bit of mirth. "Sensei I think you broke my nee-san."

The deadpanned way that he said it sent Kagome in a fit of laughter. She smacked her palm against the bark of the tree. "G-gaara-k-kun! Dont' say it l-like that! It's too funny!"

It took a while but Kagome's laughs finally subsided, and with one last mirth filled look at Gaara, she fell asleep against the tree.

* * *

_Konoha, 1 day before Kagome's arrival_

"Tsunade-sama! An ominous black cloud just past the border to fire country, it's on it's way to Konoha!"

"What about the guards stationed to protect the border?"

"All dead. Some burnt beyond recognition and others looked partially eaten!"

"Summon our two fastest ninja and order them to the guard post. I want to know if their deaths were the cause of jutsu or youkai!"

"Hai Hokage-sama!"

*Slam* *Click* *Slam* "Tsunade-hime our scouts have spotted Sound approaching Konoha, Orochimaru is leading them personally!"

"Great, just _great_. Rally all the ninjas, from gennin to Jiraya, recall any that are on missions of any kind, I don't care what they are doing they're to get their asses back to the village! Report to the ANBU guarding the Uchiha compound and order all residents to ready for battle. Konoha must be protected!"

"Hai Tsunade-hime!" *Slam*

Tsunade slumped forward onto her wood desk, rubbing her exhausted face. It would seem that betting their last hope on Jiraiya's summoning had been a bust. And now the sapphire eyed gaki would be forced to fight for the village. To fight and die for Konoha, because of their actions. Instead of Sota, she saw the young face of Nawaki, her ototo that had also died for the village.

A horrible thought that because of them, because of her, someone else's ototo was going to die for the village, hit Tsunade like a punch to the gut.

And theyd never know. Because she hadn't cared to find out where they were taking him from in the first place. Every day the gaki's family would wait, hoping that he'd come home. Her steal colored eyes widened and her heart beat with new awareness, newfound guilt.

_Oh, Kami. What have I done?_

* * *

_Konoha, the day Kagome arrives_

Sota had sent out the call to her 5 days ago, releasing as much as his aura as he dared since he didn't know just how aware these shinobi were.

There had been no answer.

Until two days ago, he felt the moment she steped onto the land, his answer had come herself. He could feel her reiki even now as ningen and youkai alike fought against Konoha, tingling along his spine, charging the air with potent energy that made it almost difficult to draw in the too rich air.

The whispers of feeling he could sense coming from whoever possessed such substantial reiki were becoming borderline feral. More than prepared to lash out at whoever was keeping such a powerful being from it's desired prize. Sota didn't envy whoever got in it's way. But he wasn't afraid, he was the opposite. Just like he knew that the possessor of the reiki was a female he knew deep in his blood and bones that she would never harm him.

Sota didn't understand it, but as another youkai tried to make a snack of him he realized he didn't care. The offending youkai quickly became ash curtesy of Byakuro's Tsukikiba o funsai(crushing moon fang).

He hoped they hurried, more ninja from Konoha were falling by the second, some to the miasma, some to the jutsu of Sound. He hoped that she hurried, if she didn't there wouldn't be any youkai left, and he wanted to fight youkai beside her. The idea heated his blood and made his body taunt with excitement.

Byakuro had shook in his hand, he wanted to fight alongside her as well.

Another youkai tried to bite him. It too became ash. Sota quickly turned away from the purified youkai, he didn't need to make sure that it was nothing but dust. However he failed to notice a Sound nin take the youkai's place, his aura twisted and tainted with madness.

Sharp pain entered him from behind, it hurt to breathe. It was familiar.

A memory, a memory of pain flashed through him. And he screamed.

_It hurts! __It hurts! __It hurts! __It hurts! ITHURTSITHURTS-MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP!_ Time slowed from the pain, it was getting harder and harder to breath, his head felt oddly like it was stuffed with cotton and he tasted copper in his mouth. His vision blurred, shapes, images, turned into black blobs.

His reiki reacted to it's master's fear and pain, forcing more of power through Sota's body as he screamed. Blue light shot out of his body in waves.

If only she would hurry.

* * *

Kagome heard Sota's screams, felt his reiki, tasted his pain. "SOTA!"

She summoned her reiki and condensed the three of them into a ball of light, uncaring if the trip was painful for the other two. Someone had hurt Sota.

**_They will Die,_** Banryu whispered in her mind. Her halberd light up in it's purple aura, more than ready to destroy everything.

**_We will show them what it means to hurt what is ours,_** Hiitsuki added. The crimson feathers of her sheath seemed to crawl up, spinning in a lazy circle dance where sheath met guard.

_Yes_, Kagome acknowledged.

They appeared on a battlefield. Men and woman, her mind identified them as ninja, fought. Some lay on the ground, dead. Others were in the jaws of youkai, some were still trying to fight them off their comrades.

Kagome didn't see them, she didn't care. They weren't the one she saught, they were inconsequential. The only one that she saw, the only one she cared for, was on his knees, screaming in pain from a kuni in the back. A ningen stood behind him, kuni in hand and poised to strike at the raven haired youth once again. His aura reaked of a madness and taint that seemed to come from his neck, too much to be a sane human anymore. The ningen was nothing more than a beast now.

Her reiki charged the air, a single pulse and a wave of her hand and all the youkai were nothing but ashes on the wind. Some ningen cried out in agony, she didn't care. Kagome could of sworn that she felt a flare of Kitsune youki, her reiki unconsciously avoided harming that aura. Her hair-tie burned with pink flames, freeing her ebony tresses from it's confines. Slit sapphire eyes were blinded by rage, and love. Love for the sapphire eyed raven haired ningen youth in front of her.

In all she looked like a goddess of war, beautiful and terrifyingly inhuman despite a humanoid appearance.

Banryu was heaved high in the air then broutght crashing down. It's blade sinking down deep into the earth. "Ryu no Honō(Flames of the Dragon)!"

**_NO ONE WAS TAKING THEIR OTOTO AGAIN! _**


	8. Chapter 8 Bloody Greetings

**Hello~ there all my readers! Lady of the Mays here once again to bring you another update of my wonderful fan-fic! I'm more than surprised about all the feedback that I got from the last update. ¨Never Mess With An Elder Sister" I'm glad to say has gotten 13,000 views and 300 followers since then. I do have notes of appreciation to say before this chapter gets started though.**

**Thank you Flirtologist for your lovely review and I'm sorry about your iPad. I hope it didn;t get to damaged from it's fall and is still functional. Your encouragement was heartfelt and I'm very grateful for them. Not many reviewers have given me such sweet words.**

**Thank you also to Sillvog and Tempest S for pointing out a few things that I had gotten mixed up. Reviews that actually point out things ike this are some of the best! Stories aren't exactly good if their confusing.**

**Anyway~ please remember that I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto and welcome all constructive criticism.**

**_Blahah_**=Demon Language

**Blahah**= More than one person speaking at the same time

_Blahah_= Thoughts

* * *

_Konoha- Itachi _

It was a clear sunny day that day in Konoha, birds flew through the sky unconcerned to the ningen down below. Trees grew tall and thick around the hidden village. Once green patches of grass either smoked or were splashed with blood. The sounds of metal clanging, voices screaming out jutsu, or pain, drowned out the forest's natural music.

"Katon: Fenikkusu-en(Phenoix Flame)!" Itachi said as another Sound shinobi tried to attack him. Sharingan eyes noticed how another Sound tried to use his comrade's death as an oppritunity to send a barrage of shuriken and kunai. He parried them all with his own kunai ,his eyes allowing him to see the path of the flying weapons easily. Another kunia buried itself in the Sound nin's neck and he fell to the ground. Itachi let his gaze linger on the fallen nin for a brief second before he left in search of another enemy. Orochimaru had planned his attack on Konoha perfectly, too perfectly.

Itachi had been a prodigy for his entire life, he'd lived through the Kyuubi attack the Third Shinobi War. He was strong and it showed through out his life. At 8 he activated his Sharingan for the first time, at 10 he graduated the Academy and quickly rose through the ranks of Konoha's shinobi, and became the youngest captain in the history of ANBu at 14. He'd spent nearly a decade after the massacre of his clan as a S-class missing nin and informant in Akatsuki. He prided himself on his skills and perfected them to the best of his ability even with his deteriorating eyesight. Anyone else wouldn't have noticed the strangeness that surrounded the attack. Sure those like Kakkashi Hatake and maybe Gai would thought there was something odd about this attack.

But he wasnt just anyone. He was Itachi Uchiha. There was more to this attack than this, it was too coordinated, too well timed with the youkai attack to be coincidence despite Orochimaru's men being attacked and eaten by the youkai with the same ferocity as Konoha shinobi. He wouldn't put it past the snake to attack after or even during the initial struggle against the youkai when they were all weak and injured, but not at almost the exact same time. Why attack now? What does Orochimaru hope to gain by attacking now? Thoughts like that swam in his mind. But when no answers came to him he couldn't help but feel as if he was missing something so big an oblivious it made him feel helpless.

It was stupid. Words like helpless or stupid weren't used to describe him...

The sound of crunching and screamed came from his left and he saw several other shinobi being crushed inside the maw of a youkai. Others that weren't being attacked by Sound shinobi ere trying to save their comrades but nothing seemed to work. The shinobi in its jaws died painfully and there was nothing anyone could do to save them.

Until today. He'd never felt so helpless before in his life as he had one this day.

He and the other more experienced shinobi had expected a battle with heavy losses when they'd been told about Sound's approach. The reports from the boarder about bodies that had been burnt or eaten, and were later confirmed to have been the result of youkai, didn't help matters. Those that had been present at the summoning had been the most down-heartened. Sota had been their only hope for Konoha to make it out alive against youkai, to be told that he was nothing more than a civilian boy had been devestating. Those that didn't know were lucky, and sparred the devastation, because they didn't have any reason to hope that their beloved village and home would be safe.

Now looking at the bodies of his colleges and enemies alike he'd felt foolish to hope.

The reports of Sound and youkai had mearly solidified a long held fact that he, Tsunade, Jiraya and the others had been too stubborn to listen to. Despite his suspicions.

They were all going to die. And Konoha was going to fall.

Itachi never would have thought he'd live to see the day that his beloved village would fall. Not that he expected to have lived within Konoha's walls for a final time, but he was glad that he got to return to his childhood home before he died defending his village. It was a good way to die. There was more honor dieing to defend his home than letting his ototo kill him, or even dieing on a mission. Itachi didn't have any problems with being cut down in this battle, there was only one thing that he regretted. One person he regretted, he amended.

His eyes, Sharingan activated, quickly found the raven haired youth among the battlefield. He regretted the youth's involvement in Konoha's problems. Though he didn't remember anything the sapphire eyed gaki probably had a family that would miss him. He wished that Sota hadn't gotten involved in Konoha's problems. He wished that Jiraya hadn't found that old book and summoning technique. The boy was nothing more than a civilian, he couldn't-

Itachi's eyes widened like dinner plates when he saw some kind of energy come from Sota's kattana and obliterate the youkai till nothing remained. His eyes didn't see any chakra come from the gaki, it just burst from the weapon. The youth's face was set with grim determination but his eyes flashed with something akin to... impatience.

What the- Itachi didn't have long to wonder about Sota or his odd blade when another nin tried to attack him from behind. His anger and curiosity made him activate the Mangekyō Sharingan's Tsukuyomi. His vision blurred for a second before it refocused. Everything was fuzzier than before he'd used the Tsukuyomi and he deactivated the doujutsu. It wouldn't do for him to be at a disadvantage due to dizziness.

That was when he heard Sota scream.

He quickly turned around and was able to make out Sota's hunched over form. A sound nin had a kunai in hand and was motioning to kill the ravenette.

Suddenly a ball of bright light rushed onto the battlefield, and a "SOTA!" was shouted into the air. A wave of warmth slammed into him, knocking him back a few feet. He managed to stay upright somehow but his body felt sluggish, like it wanted to curl up and sleep. It was... odd.

Itachi blinked a couple of times, what was that? he'd never felt anything like it before. And was it him or was his vision a little less blurry than before?

More screams came from the battlefield and he turned around, away from Sota and this sudden stranger. If he were anyone else his mouth would have fallen to the ground in shock. Absolute shock. Youkai after youkai flinched for a brief second before letting out a dieing roar and their body's became nothing more than glittering ash that floated harmlessly to the earth or air. Youkai weren't the only ones to feel the effect of the strange energy. Several shinobi, some Itachi noticed were Hyuuga with their kekkei genkai activated and most came from Sound nin, each of them cluthing a part of their bodies and kneeling in pain.

Itachi once more regarded the new addition to their battlefield. And for a moment he forgot how to breathe.

Hair the color of raven's wings went all the way down to her thighs, it was gathered in a white ribbon away from her face. Her face was a thing of beauty. Heart-shaped with smooth skin the same shade of peaches and cream, an adorable nose set above lush pink lips that ached to be kissed. Such delicately feminine features made it oblivious she was not a male. And her eyes. They were like facetted sapphires, and so very very dark. It was like Itachi could feel her anger, it licked along his senses, urging him to flee and never look back. They were also familiar. _She_ was familiar. But Itachi was sure that he's never met such a female before.

She wore two kimonos, one of pure white underneath dark blue with silver flower petels brought out the light of her eyes, it's long billowing sleeves nearly concealed her hands. Dark blue hakama covered her legs and flared out slightly before begin stuffed into black shoes, making a pillowing effect. A silver obi was tied in a bow at her right side, holding a sheath with, where the crimson colored feathers that decorated the pure black sheath twirling?, to her. A black leather chest piece covered her layered haori and enhanced a figure that Itachi was well aware would make men drool and woman green with envy. Over that chest piece was a thick leather strap that went from her left shoulder to her obi, a silver buckle placed over where her heart was. Accros her back and attached to the strap was the biggest halberd Itachi had ever seen, it looked to be as tall as Kisame's weapon.

The woman was barely came up to chin! Although her petite stature just made her seem more attractive. If the weapon was proportioned to it's weight there was no way someone of her size would be able to carry, let alone wield such a large weapon. Her dark sapphire eyes glanced over the battle field before landing on the shinobi that hovered over Sota.

Suddenly her hair tie exploded in pink flames, burning it away and releasing her ebony tresses from it's confindes. And her eyes became slits, resembling a certain blond. She grabbed the halberd, removing it from it's sheath in a way that spoke of ease and practice. The blade was even wider than Itachi had estimated, he couldn't even begin to wonder how much strength it took to wield the monster of a weapon. IT rose high in the air before crashing down, sinking down into the hard earth as easily as a sharpened tanto through paper.

"Ryu no Honō(Flames of the Dragon)!"

"Holy!" "KAmi!" "HELL!"

Flames shot p from the ground in beams, there were screams of others, but Itachi couldn't take his coal black eyes away from the almost inhuman beauty before him. Before he knew it the battle was over and the Sound shinobi were no more. One woman had managed to defeat not only an army of youkai but also Sound.

Kami preserve their tamashi.

The woman let go of her large halberd leaving it buried within the ground and rushed to the raven haired youth's side. Her face took on a pained look when she saw the kunai and his bloody clothes. She kneeled down next to him, her haori sleeves spreading out one the round and gathered the youth in her arms. The woman brought his head to rest on her chest and away from the sight of a bloody field. Long ebony tresses shielded him from sight and an arm wrapped around him, careful not to jostle the weapon still protruding from his back.

Itachi sensed Tsunade, Kakashi, and Jiraya approach him. "who is she?" Jiraya asked him quietly. Itachi gave the toad sannin a tiny shrug, not taking his eyes off the female. He had no idea who the woman was.

Sota gave a small gasp of pain, drawing attention to his injuries. Tsunade moved to get closer to the unknown female and the boy, likely to heal him. The woman's head snapped up and snarled at the Hokage, eyes still slit and canines longer than a normal ningen's.

"Stay away," she growled. Though her voice was rough in restrained violence and anger it was a soft voice. Itachi imagined that if she'd calm down it would sound much smoother and even better. It was odd but he wanted to hear her smooth voice.

Tsunade's steal colored eyes narrowed at her and she crossed her arms over her chest, straightening her back to glare at the smaller female from her full height as if to intimidate her. "Look I'm greatful that you stepped in when you did, but the gaki your holding is one of mine. I need to make sure he's okay and heal him. Either let him go or et me get close."

"Come any closer," the female hissed, freeing one of her arms from around Sota's injured form and grabbing the hilt of the kattanna at her side. "And I will let Hiitsuki paint the sky crimson with your blood."

Tension rose from the Hokage and the rest of the Konoha shinobi that were slowly gathering their bearings and making their way to their Hokage. And too see who or what exactly had stopped the double attack of Sound and youkai. Neither group moved, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Baa-chan! Kyuubi's freackin' out, saying that the bad thing's here! I told you you should have sent him back before, now it's here! In Konoha!"

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the tension was broken by a certain blond.

Naruto had quickly run to the growing crowd of people. More than a little confused as to why the fighting had stopped abruptly and what was making the Kitsune within him so nervous.

The female blinked, her eyes still slit but no longer rage filled. Slowly her hand moved away from the hilt of her blade and as she looked at the blond with curiosity.

"Naruto you gaki! Dont go yelling things like that out loud!"

"But baa-chan-"

"Sensei!"

The Konoha nin recognized the red haired youth and his female companion, though most, Itachi included, wondered why the Kazekage was here when Suna had been having youkai problems as well. And who would the deadly, former Ichibi jinchūriki, call 'sensei'?

"I'm fine, Gaara-kun," the kneeling woman said. "Though I think you failed to explain quiet a few important things before we left Suna."

Gaara raised an eyebrow, clearly curious but his body language suggested a wariness that had never been before seen from the red head, "Which is sensei?"

The woman's gaze immediately locked with Naruto, "How about that this 'Konoha' of yours managed to seal a nine-tailed red fox inside a human shell? Or better yet," her voice took on a rougher quality to it again, "that the fox just so happens to so emotionally stunted that he's nearly rabid from being contained? Or that both he and his human counterpart are almost dead? Or better yet that he happens to be blood of my blood, my son's own child, my FUCKING GRANDKIT!? _**MY GRANDKIT WAS SEALED WITHIN A NINGEN TO THE POINT OF NEAR INSANITY?!"**_

Tsunade's body immediately froze at the smaller and younger woman's words. Gaara and Temari looked surprised but not shocked. May shinobi flinched or backed away from the woman claiming to be the nine-tailed fox's grandmother. Itachi raised a single eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. This strange woman was becoming more mysterious with every passing moment.

Naruto was the most vocal, "I'm not your grandkit lady! What the hell is a grandkit?! How can you be the Kyuubi's Oba-chan?! Your barely older than me!"

The woman snarled, "_**Be silent kit! I am your father's Alpha and I demand respect**_."

"You ain't my alpha lady!" Naruto yelled his eyes getting a slight red ting to them.

_**"Don't take that tone with me kit or I will bend you over my knee and punish you as I did your sire centuries ago!"**_

* * *

Gaara and Temari quickly moved away from the young woman to Tsunade's side, as she began threatening the blond.

"Gaara... What the hell is going on?" Tsunade asked, not tearing her eyes away from the trio before them.

"I could ask you the same thing Hokage-sama," Gaara countered, teal eyes regarded the older Kage with a seriousness that made Tsunade want to fidget a little. "But if you're the one who summoned Sota-san to our plane of existence Sensei isn't going to be very happy with you. She's been frantic and agitated since she felt his reki days ago, her control isn't as good as it usually is now and is dangerous. More so now that she's found out that the Kyuubi sealed within Naruto happens to be her grandchild."

"The Kyuubi is really her grandchild?" Kakkashi pipped. "She doesn't look that old."

"Trust me, Hatake-san," Temari said, "Kagome is the Kyuubi's Oba. Once she finds out what happened to it and Naruto she's going to be really pissed. She's been hopping for grandchildren for a long time now and finding one sealed inside Naruto might just set her off the deep end."

"Is that bad?" Jiraya asked.

"Very," Temari answered solemnly.

* * *

The woman growled low and loud, the stubborn kit wanted to defy her? Mother of the Bandit King, and Alpha Female of the Kitsune clans?

_So be it,_ she thought with a smirk. _Let's see if Shippo chose a good mate and see just how strong a kit he produced. Let's see if he has what it takes to be Alpha._

The air around the two of them growing heavy with power. Itachi and Konoha watched as the Kyuubi's chakra rose from the blond, red tendrils of power rising from his skin. The woman glowed pink, tendrils thick and more substantial rising from her skin in waves. A power greater than the Kyuubi's bore down on the blond, forcing him to his knees at the pressure.

The pink tendrils seemed to mingle with the red, some red cut pink and vice a versa. More pink tendrils came out the woman's skin and cut into the red. Naruto was forced onto his hands and knees, his body could be seen sinking into the ground. This continued for almost an eternity, no one moved to help the blond and no one interfered to terrified to get between this powerful being and it's intended target and become the new focus of her ire.

Finally Naruto gave a loud whimper and slowly crawled to the female on his hands and knees. The woman didn't move, just watched him as he came closer till he stopped right in front of her, then he slowly tilted his head to the side, barring his neck to his Alpha female and gave a final, pitiful, whimper. The woman's eyes softened a little to the kit, her grandkit.

Mindful of her ototo still in her arms she bent over and nuzzled the blond's bared neck. He stiffened a little at first as he felt her reki rise to soothe and claim him as pack and her still sharp canines in close proximity to his vulnerable jugular. Kagome sensed his Kitsune instincts rise to the surface as he gave another whimper.

Slowly, as not to frighten her little grandkit, she took her free hand and combed it through his golden locks paying extra attention to where his large fuzzy fox ears would have been if he'd been in youkai form.

_**"Such a good grandkit,"**_ Kagome cooed softly, purring low in her chest much like she'd done to Shippo as a kit when he'd wake in the night terrified that she would suddenly disappear. _**"You've made your Alpha so proud kit, to be able to handle so much of my aura. Your sire would be ecstatic to learn that you've grown so strong."**_

**"Hai, Alpha. Thank you,"** Naruto said, his eyes returning to their normal sky blue.

Sota whimpered in her arms, clearly in pain.

"Kit grab the kunai in your packmate's back," she instructed, waiting for him to follow her orders. If her grandkit's human half was influenced at all by his youkai one he'd follow her orders without question. Kitsune might not be Inu youkai but they were still pack oriented creatures and obeyed an Alpha. More so than even other canines because they were such social creatures and thrived on the energies of pack, nature, and sex to live and grow. An Alpha's duty was to provide all these, care for the pack, and defend the den. Letting a new packmate, even if he was her kin, near another injured packmate before they were proven trustworthy was an honor and a show that the Alpha trusts the new packmate's presence enough to keep it safe.

Kagome mentally sighed, she'd spent too many years among canine youkai if her mentality had taken such a turn. Oh well, a problem for later.

She wasn't disappointed. Naruto immediately removed the kunai from Sota's back as carefully as he could. Her ototo whimpered in pain and his reki and aura rose to fight what it deemed a threat. She blanketed her ototo and grandkit in her aura, calming Sota's agitated fear and allowing Naruto's budding Kitsune side to feed off his new Alpha's energy as a reward for his service to pack. She passed a glowing hand over Sota's wounds and felt the flesh beneath her hand to mend together. And she wasn't surprised when Naruto's aura latched onto her's and began feeding off it. Good thing she still had enough power left.

She heard someone clear their throat and looked up to see the female that tried to approach her before. "Now that your done with... whatever it is your doing, I, Tsunade Senju, Godame Hokage of Konoha thank you for your assistance Ms..."

"Kagome no Shikon," Kagome answered automatically. Clutching her ototo closer to her breast.

"Shikon-san," Tsunade continued. "As thanks for saving my village I offer you and yours lodgings for however long you decide to stay in appreciation for your actions against both youkai and Sound."

Kagome considered what the woman said, slit sapphire eyes regarded the female dispassionately. She wasn't tired per say, but with Naruto's feeding off her energy, along with the changes her kit was bound to undergo once he was strong enough, it would be better to do it in a place where he was comfortable. There was also the fact that she had to get some answers from this woman. Her eyes narrowed, she hadn't forgotten her Kit's outburst from before. If this woman really had been the one to summon her ototo here she must have had a reason. Well, from the battle that she's just finished she could guess the reason would be youkai related. Just like in Suna Konoha smelt of poison, death and youki. It called to her reki to aid and purify the land.

She mentally sighed, Kami must favor her greatly if they'd brought her from her time and plane to this one. Note her sarcasm.

What she wouldn't have given for being normal sometime.

"That is fine, Tsunade-sama," Kagome said, lifting Sota without any trouble and walking over to the group of curious and wary ningen. "I believe you have answers to many questions that have been recently brought to light."

"Yes, and I belive that you have the answers to many of mine as well," Tsunade said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'll ask the first: What's your relation to the black haired gaki? And how did you destroy all those youkai?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow at the woman. Well she certainly was blunt. "He's my ototo and I'm the Shikon no Miko." Her sapphire eyes returned to normal. "Purifying demons that destroy the balance of the Ningenkai happens to be in the job description."

Tsuande raised an eyebrow, her aura spoke of confusion. "Yet you claim the Kyuubi to be your grandchild."

Kagome shrugged, "Never claimed I was a traditional Miko, being the Shikon no Miko gives me certain, characteristics that are blasphemous among my kind. Consorting with youkai and being friends with a great deal of them happen to be one of them."

"And the other?"

"Let's just say that while a normal Miko couldn't kill humans, I can." _In other words don't think that just because it's my job not to hurt you that I can't._ It was a threat, a blunt one but with ningen is was better to be honest and to the point with them. High level Youkai like Sesshomaru usually made more violent promises. Kami if these people if they piss her off to the point of pulling a Sesshomaru.

"Pardon me, Shikon-san," Kakkashi said, sauntering over to her. "But you don't look old enough to have a child how can you be the Kyuubi's oba?"

"Curious Inu," Kagome commented, sensing Inu in his aura. "I am older than I appear, young man. You would do well to remember that. You ninja are trained to see underneath the underneath, but only a few of you see to the truth of the matter often enough to gain the Sight. Quiet frankly it's pathetic, there are even less of you capable than there are in my plane. I have looked upon the truth since the moment my body was born. My Sight is clear. Your's is bound to the perceived 'realities' around you. I have no such block."

"You speak as if you're not ningen," one of the Hyuuga's from the crowd said.

"I am, technically. But its been centuries since I claimed I was."

* * *

"Hokage-sama you must destroy this, this, abomination! She's the epitome of corruption! A miko consorting with youkai! The Kyuubi no Kitsune's own kin!" council men Homura cried.

"I will not harm to someone who has protected Konoha Homura," Tsunade hissed angrily. "Because of Shikon-sans interference Konoha is alive and the shinobi we lost aren't as great as we estimated. She didn't have to, and could have easily taken away her brother from the battlefield and not looked back. Konoha would have perished if she had."

"She admitted she isn't _ningen_ Hoakge-sama! You would let an inhuman abomination mingle amongst the villagers without even an escort to keep an eye on her?"

"The Kazekage is with her, so is Temari, both are very skilled shinobi or are you looking down on their skills Homura?"

"It's not that we don't respect the Kazekage's strength hokage-sama," another council member Koharu Utatane said. "But he is still young and doesn't have much experiecne in the ways of deceit as older more experienced leaders do. It would be easy for him to be taken in by Shinkon-san's beauty and power."

"Enough!" Tsunade yelled, slamming her hand on the hard wood desk, making spiderweb cracks appeared on the once smooth surface. "Shikon-san destroyed, literally destroyed, all the youkai that would have killed Konoha! She is a miko of gret power, to be respected for her abilities that are so needed in these desperate times. But since the council is so concerned that she is a threat Ibiki will be sent for. He will discover if your fears are unfounded or not. If she proves not to be a threat to the village I will speak with her and the Kazekage about these recent events, if she's dangerous to the village I _will_ speak to her _anyway_!"

"But Hokage-sama-"

"No buts Koharu! I will not let the one person who can protect Konoha against youkai slip through my fingers just because you fear her inhumanity!" Tsunade yelled, steal eyes hardening in determination. "Thank you for your imput Councilmen you are dismissed."

Just like that the Council left, clearly dismissed, but not before shooting angry or fearful looks to the Hokage. Tsunade slumped back into her chair and rubbed her temples. "The council is full of narrow minded idiots. If they can't see that Konoha is too weak to stand against another attack like this one there's no way we'd be able to survive a campaign from another hidden village."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Itachi said appearing from his spot hidden in the shadows of her office. He sometimes wished he never returned to Konoha, not because he didn't love his childhood home and village but because the villagers and shinobi can be narrow minded fools. "Are you really going to have Ibiki interrogate her?" He wasn't sure why but the idea of harming the petite female left an unpleasant taste in his mouth.

Tsunade sighed, "It's the only way to ensure the council doesn't see her as a threat."

"I doubt that she'll be amenable to it," Itachi pointed out. "And if you make requests of her afterwards she is likely to refuse."

"Hell Itachi I can't just ask her to help Konoha then send her to the Interrogators," Tsunade said, clearly frustrated. "That would be a violation of her trust in us, and it would break what little there is. If we do that she can just take her sibling and return to Suna. We need her."

Itachi didn't argue with her on that. "your dismissed Itachi, I have work to do." He bowed to his Kage and teleported back to the Uchiha compound.

Itachi walked the halls of his childhood home, enjoying the seting sun even if the sky turned the same red as the blood that had been spilled only a few hours ago. He would be the first to admit that he was curious about the young woman.

Kagome no Shikon, the caged bird of four souls.

Where could a woman so powerful have appeared from? How did she get here? What exactly made her so different from other miko that she became kin to the Kyuubi-no-Kitsune? All the questions he had about her had no answer.

Hie eyes flashed red. But he was determined to find out.


	9. Chapter 9 Headaches and new enemies

**Hey there ma readers! Lady of the Mays bringing you a Birthday update! It was my Birthday last week so I wanted to do an update! It came so soon to, it was only last year that I had my last birthday and it's already here again , Life's funny like that.**

**Remember that I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto and welcome constructive criticisms! **

_**Blahah**_=Demon Language

**Blahah**= More than one person speaking at the same time

_Blahah_= Thoughts

* * *

She heard someone knock on the door of the hospital Sota and Naruto had been taken to.

_Odd, why would someone be here? After today I'd just want to curl up and sleep._ They knocked again and Kagome went to the door opening it up for her guest.

"Kagome no Shikon?" asked a tall male wearing a tori(bird) mask asked. She nodded, unsure of what this person was here for.

"You are to come with me."

* * *

"Hello Shikon-san," said a man with an impressive set of scars only partly covered by a cloth and hiate covering most of it. "My name is Ibiki Morino, head Interrogator of Konoha's Torture & Investigation branch. The Hokage ordered me to ask you several questions, I expect you to answer them truthfully or else I won't be responsible for what it takes to make you talk."

Kagome wanted to cut off Ibiki Morino's head with Banryu, which she had to remember to get from outside Konoha later, and stuff it on a pike.

She truthfully hadn't expected to be grabbed from her apartment by a man in a tori mask. Nor had she expected to suddenly find herself in a metal room and cuffed to a chair by her wrists and ankles, a metal table in front of her. She mentally tch'd herself, she'd lowered her guard, well that wasn't going to happen again. It brought back old memories of all the times she'd been kidnapped as a teenager, though considering her bound joints she had to give them credit. They were obliviously more experienced than anyone who'd taken her in the past.

She thanked Inari and any Kami that would listen that she hadn't taken off her armor or Hiitsuki.

Not that they hadn't tried to remove her katanna, those that did had been suspiciously cautious like they didn't know whether something would happen if they tried to touch it. They now sported nasty burns on their hands and faces. She could sense that her cuffs were trying to bind her reiki, they weren't meant to bind it but something else. She idly wondered what it was but let the thought go the back of her mind. The cuffs might not have worked properly but it was annoying, though her gauntlets prevented the metal from digging into her skin.

The man, her 'interrogator' wasn't being rude, but she was physically and emotionally tired. The rage she'd felt only yesterday at Sota's attackers, her relief of finding him in time tapped her out of energy to deal with this. Added to the discovery that she had a grandson and staying up all night and good part of the day worrying about him, made her want to take a very long bath and sleep in a comfy bed with her ototo. Her exhaustion was also making her tap into her reserves to stay awake and aware. Combine all those things and you got one grumpy and short tempered miko on your hands.

Now she knew why Sesshomaru and the other Cardinal Lords had always been so irritable when she asked questions as a teenager.

Interrogations really grated on the temper.

_**Calm mistress**, _Hiitsuki whispered in her mind. **_Let this play out where it will. _**

Kagome could do nothing but nod to her katanna, Ibiki seemed to take it as her answer as well.

"We'll start with something easy. Are your eyes naturally blue?"

_What kind of question was that?_ "Yes," Kagome said casually, hiding her confusion from her face and tone.

"Good. Now what are your clothes made of?"

Is this guy a pervert? Kami, it would be just her luck. "Silk from a Kumo youkia and hide of a Iwa tokage(rock lizard)."

Ibiki nodded, as if he understood or expected the answer. But Kagome saw the small downward turn of his eye, this guy was good for some of the most observant ningen. Good thing she'd lived with King Iceberg for a few decades, this Ibiki had nothing on the daiyoukia.

_Remind me why I can't just decapitate this male and raze this village to the ground?_

_**The kit is fond of the village and he would be upset if it was nothing more than a large pile of burning embers, **_Hiistuki answered calmly. Kagome got an image of a large crimson colored tori with long silky looking tail-feathers. Pupil-less red eyes were closed and a dark yellow beak was happily cleaning her feathers in her mind. Really, Hiitsuki could be so blasé sometimes.

Then why was she letting a ningen interrogate her again?

_**Because Mistress, **_Hiitsuki drawled out, **_You'll never get the answers you seek from that woman if you don't play along. At least until a better opportunity presents itself. Remember, the only reason this very event did no occur in Suna was do to the cub's insistence that you not be harmed from helping them._**

_I helped this village too! _Kagome yelled in indignation to her blade in her mind. _Yet they do this to me!_ She tested the metal cuffs, they were rather sturdy and would take a second to escape from. _If I didn't dislike killing ningen so much this place would be a graveyard._

"Shikon-san you will find that you can't escape those cuffs. They are some of our stronger chakra inhibitors."

_I don't use chakra, whatever the heck it is, you baka ningen(idiot human)! I use reiki! _"Very interesting Ibiki-san, now is there a reason I should care?"

"If you insist on messing with your restraints I would be glad to give you stronger ones," Ibiki calmly threatened. Kagome mentally rolled her eyes at the scarred male but stopped anyway, it wasn't like they worked on her.

**_Mistress you've spent too much time around Banryu,_** Hiitsuki said with a sigh. **_Your begin gin to take on some of his bad habits._**

Why had she commissioned Totosai to forge her a blade when she knew that most of them were sentient?

_**You were looking for something that could handle your reiki without blowing up in your face.**_

_Do you have an answer for everything?_

Hiitsuki was silent at that. She leaned back in her chair, the cold metal was mostly blocked by her clothing and armor. Well that answers that question.

"How old were you when you were forced to have the Kyuubi's father?"

How dare he! 'Forced', he says! Like taking care of her son was some kind of transgression. If this male continued to go down that road with her son she was seriously going to get pissed off. "How old were you when you got those?" she asked gruffly, motioning with her head to his scars.

Ibiki tried not to show his frown at the woman's sudden change in attitude. "Why did you come to Konoha? What were you looking for?"

"Your village took something from me. Honestly not a smart thing to do; and now I'm starting to seriously regret saving this blasted place if this is how you treat the people that save all your asses," Kagome said, forgoing any attempts to control her emotions and tugging harder on her restraints.

"If you regret doing it why bother in the first place? Why defend us from the youkai horde or Sound?"

"And that's what's called hindsight," Kagome said, her sapphire eyes rolling heavenward. She sighed and with a flick of her wrist broke both of the cuffs, Ibiki watched eyes wide as she freed her ankles as well. She crossed her arms over her chest and her legs before giving her interrogator an irritated glare. "Look, I really don't want to deal with this. I wasn't happy before when those youkai attacked. And I'm certainly not happy now after dealing with this headache. I helped this village for my own reasons and they'll stay my own reasons. If you or your... Hokage," said as if tasting the word for the very first time. "Wanted to know if I'm going to destroy your homes it would have been smarter if you'd just asked me. Because I don't know if you where there during the battle today but pissing off someone who completely _annihilated_," she growled out the last word. "Both youkai and those 'Sound' ninja is way beyond stupid."

Ibiki growled, his desire to protect his village made his face darken, and the scars look more vicious, "Is that a threat, Shikon-san?"

"Not a threat Ibiki-san," Kagome said with great seriousness. Uncrossing her arms from her chest she leaned forward on the metal table, her elbow propped up and supporting her head. "A warning. Because Konoha will only get the one before I take action into my own hands."

She lifted her head from her hand and leaned back, a slight smile on her face, "Tell your Hokage that as long as her or hers don't do anything foolish during my stay then I swear to take no action to harm Konoha or her people. And when I return to Suna with Gaara-kun Konoha will be better for my presence."

Her interrogator held her gaze, as if looking for something before he sighed and left the room. Kagome could sense his agitation rolling of him in waves. Clearly he wasn't getting the answers he was used too. Too bad for him. He could deal with his leader's ire, if Tsunade wanted answers then she would come and ask them herself. Not make some middle man do it.

**_Mistress you defiantly have been spending too much time with Banryu_**, Hiitsuki said, her exasperation in her wielder crystal clear. **_Your patience is even more none existant than normal and you just threatened someone._**

_If I was as bad as Banryu something or someone would be either broken, dead, or mutalated. Nothing's broken and no on's injured, or maimed, or dead, I would say that is an excellent measure of my patience._

She liked to think that she had a good deal of patience, she was over 500 years old after all. She'd dealt with an annoying Inu hanyou, another hanyou that seemed conflicted on wether to kill her or mate her while trying to take over the whole world, a ookami(wolf) prince that wouldn't get it through his skull that he would never be 'his woman', lived with only half of her soul for nearly 5 years and didn't come out insane, and raised a Kitsune kit to adult hood. Combined with other events and it was an honest surprise that she wasn't more vicious and bloodthirsty.

**_I suppose so. But mistress you must remember that these ninja are mearly ningen, they don't understand the youkai mentality you've taken from the years. What would Bank-_**

Kagome gripped her katanna tightly around the hilt, though Hiitsuki couldn't feel pain her mistress's feelings were clearly expressed in her grip.

"Don't you dare bring _him_ up Hiitsuki, I won't allow you to goad me for my attitude towards these ningen. If he was here everyone would have been dead the moment they dared touch Sota. He was as possessive as an Inu when it came to the people he cared about, especially his brothers. I will not allow you to tarnish his memory," she said, uncaring if it was aloud.

Kagome felt Hiitsuki pulse in regret and she softened her grip, caressing the hilt in appologly.

**_Mistress I'm-_**

"its ok. I'm okay," Kagome muttered, though her heart still twisted in pain from just hearing his name it was less than it had been years ago. She was getting better.

The door opened and Ibiki came inside followed by two other men. One had dark spiky hair and dark brown eyes that seemed almost black, his aura screamed intelligence but it was offset by a slightly lazy attitude. He didn't seemed to thrilled to be here. The other man had pale blond hair and blue eyes, he was slightly taller than the dark haired male. Unlike the other male, he was openly frowning at the scarred interrogator, upset about something. Ibiki kept his keen gaze on her, there was no indiction in his aura to his feelings.

Kagome raised an eyebrow in question and removed her hand from the hilt of her blade. _What was he thinking? Who were these men? Why where they here?_

"This is Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka," Ibiki said, pointing to each male. "Since you seek to be difficult Shikon-san, they are going to assist me in my questioning."

Kagoem narrowed her eyes at Ibiki, her gut clenching uncomfortably. "I already warned you not to do anything foolish, Ibiki-san. I don't know what you plan to find with help but I will remind you that you only have one warning."

"The council needs this information, and I will get it no matter what to keep Konoha safe. Shikaku, restrain her."

"How troublesome," said Shikaku with a sigh. "_Kage–Kubishibari no Jutsu(Shadow neck binding technique)"_

Shadows exploded from underneath her body, traveling and circling her till she couldn't move. She screamed when she felt the alien touch against her body. Something that felt like fingers wrapped themselves threateningly around her neck, promising a slow death by strangulation to it's victims. Kagome tried to struggle against the shadow bindings but couldn't move. Was she weaker than she thought?

_What was this? It was using that strange energy, the same that brought Sota here!_

"Ibiki I think you should listen to her," the blond, Inoichi, said. "She took out the entire army of Sound and youkai with only two moves. If she promised to not harm Konoha or her citizens then I see no reason to probe her mind."

'Probe her mind' Kagome's eyes widened at the blonde male before her entire face darkened in anger. "I'm warning you, stop this foolishness while I'm still lenient."

Ibiki's gaze and aura hardened in determination, "I will not Shikon-san, for my Hokage and village I can't."

Kagome felt a little bit of admiration take root for the scarred man, he was a man who loved his home deeply and was willing to do unsavory things to make sure it was safe. Once upon a time, when she had been young and trusting, she would have allowed this male to know anything he wished. But now, she was jaded. Scarred by her own past and the betrayals that she had endured long ago. Hiitsuki pulsed at her hip, a comforting presence. She could feel Banryu's aura pulse as well, brushing along Hiitsuki's and combining with her to comfort her.

She gazed into his dark eyes, "If you value the sanity and life of the man beside you Ibiki Morino you wouldn't dare order him within my mind. Because I cannot stop it if he breaks from the attempt. Are you willing to sacrifice this man for it?"

"We are ninja of Konoha, Shikon-san" Inoichi said, "Death is not a stranger."

Kagome's eyes softened a tiny bit in pity for the blond male, "You talk like death is a horrible fate when nothing could be further from the truth. There are things much, _much_, worse than death Yamanaka-san. I should know, I lived a few of them. If you have anyone precious to you I beg you, don't do this."

"Inoichi," Ibiki commanded. Inoichi nodded his head and Kagome closed her eyes, a single tear ran down her face for what was to come.

"Shintenshin no Jutsu(Mind Transfer technique)."

* * *

"Uchiha-san come quickly to the Hokage tower, it's an emergency!"

* * *

Being summoned to the Hokage's office wasn't something that Itachi had expected to happen today but he was thankful that it had happened anyway. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, to curious about the woman who called herself 'Kagome' and her mysteries. His thought kept his mind awake and prevented him from getting the deep healing sleep his body needed to recover from the attack yesterday. The summons was a well timed distraction from his thoughts

He opened the door to Tsunade's and immediately thought that he spoke to soon.

Sitting on a chair in front of the Hokage's desk was the very woman that he'd been thinking about since yesterday. She turned around to see who had come in, those sapphire eyes meeting his coal black ones before returning to the Hokage. Itachi's breath silently hitched when their gazes locked, her raven hair was still unbound but when she looked over her shoulder it looked shorter and he realized why the woman looked so familiar to him.

She looked like a female version of Sota.

He felt so _stupid _for not recognizing the identical features the moment he saw her.

"Ah Uchiha, good thing you made it," Tsunade said, looking more tired than he'd ever seen her before. "It seems that we are in need of your help."

"What can I do for you Hokage-sama?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the female.

Tsunade sighed and leaned forward, resting her head on her hand. "There was an incident-"

The female snorted, " 'Incident' you say. That's certainly one way to put the shit storm you almost caused."

Tsunade glared at the young woman, "This wouldn't have happened if you had just answered Ibiki's questions."

"No, this wouldn't have happened if _you_ hadn't told Ibiki-san to interrogate me in the first place. This wouldn't have happened if the men he had brought in to help him had _listened_ to my warnings. This wouldn't have happened if you expected me to tell a _stranger_ who _kidnaps_ my ototo diddly-squat about my life. I don't have to tell you anything more about my life then I'm willing to, and right know you haven't earned the right to know a damn thing," she spat at the Hokage.

"I needed to know if you were a threat to my village," Tsunade spat right back. "The council wouldn't accept any less."

"It isn't my problem if your council doesn't trust me," Kagome said gripping the arms of her chair tightly. "I gave my word to Ibiki-san that as long as you or yours didn't do something stupid I wouldn't harm Konoha or it's people. I warned him that he would only receive one warning from me if anything happened, anymore and I would take action."

"You attacked him without warning-"

"I did warn him. I told him to stop, that I couldn't stop what would happen if he made the attempt. But they ignored me, ignored my warnings, and now Inoichi Yamanaka will pay the price and your village and it's people are treading on _**very**_ thin ice, Tsu-na-de-chan," the woman hissed at the Hokage.

Itachi quickly connected the dots and wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. The situation had deteriorated faster than he had anticipated. His face was a mask of calm and he asked coolly, "Would you have answered our questions if Ibiki-san hadn't tried anything?"

Both woman looked up at him as if just now remembering that he was there in the first place.

Kagome raised an eyebrow, "And you are?"

"Itachi Uchiha."

"Well then Uchiha-san it depends. I wouldn't have told you anything about my past, because 1) I don't know you and 2) you people did kidnap my ototo. Both reasons don't put any of you ningen on my good side. If you ask if I'm dangerous, I would say yes," the woman answered, getting up from the chair and standing in front of him. Her cobalt eyes locked on his, despite the woman's cold face her eyes showed her feelings. Regret. Anger. Frustration. They were like window's to her soul and Itachi could do nothing but look into her. "But if I was asked if I was a threat to Konoha I _would_ have said no."

Itachi nodded, acknowledging her words and noting that she had said them in past tense, "Very well." He turned to Tsunade. "Why was I summoned Hokage-sama?"

"Ah, yes. When Shinkon-san was taken in for questioning there was an incident-" Kagome snorted again but said nothing further. "-involving one of the interrogators, Inoichi Yamanaka, he attempted to probe into her mind and fainted soon after. No one can wake him up. There is nothing medically wrong with him so I'm assuming that there's something wrong with his mind and I don't want to ask Ino to do this in case it affects her as well."

"You want me to use the Tsukiyomi to see if his mind was tortured," Itachi stated quickly putting the facts together, his face still an outward semblance of calm.

Tsunade nodded, glancing at the ravenette before gazing at the Uchiha, "Yes. I hope that the Tsukiyomi's mind altering abilities might allow you to find out what happened to Inoichi."

"*Sigh* And you can't just ask me?"

"You know what you did to him?" Itachi asked more than a little surprised.

"Ningen aren't the first that have probed my mind," Kagome said, her pink coral lips in a frown that he had the sudden desire to sooth. "Yamanaka-san didn't even get that deep. But I had placed a precaution against those wishing to go rummaging around my head years ago. If he were youkia he would have died from the attempt, I have no idea what the effects will be on a ningen. He will awaken whenever it wears off."

She looked down, turning back to face Tsunade, who Itachi noticed was looking at them with interest. "I will stay here in Konoha long enough for my ototo to recover and to put up a barrier. In 19 days I will have to leave and return to Suna. And Naruto will be coming along with us."

Tsunade gaped at the young woman, bolting up from her chair, "You can't just take Naruto!"

"I can and will," Kagome declared. "The moment the Kitsune sealed within him acknowledged my position as Alpha was the moment his care and training became my responsibility. Plus he his my grandkit, he will be coming with his family."

"Naruto Uzumaki is a valuable and valued ninja of Konoha," Itachi said, "You cannot simply take him with you."

"I'm afraid that whether Naruto comes with me or not isn't up for discussion. He is my grandkit's avatar, my blood runs throught his veins, and he acknowledged my dominance, in youkai culture that's as good as making him pack, and therefor mine. Ningen here barely know how to deal with E-level youkai. Unless you have a expert on Kitsune with enough power to subdue an adolescent 9 tails not weakened by his blood rage and starvation then I'm afraid that you're way out of your league."

"We do have a way to subdue Naruto if the Kyuubi gets out of control," he said, though a little part of him worried just how strong the ramen obsessed blond could be.

"Besides Naruto's human, not youkai," Tsunade pointed out, confusion evident in her steel colored eyes.

Kagome sighed, "Naruto might not be a youkai now, but he's going to be. He's not the first Kitsune avatar I've seen in my lifetime, one of Sota's former co-workers was one. Eventually Kurama merged with his youkia counterpart Yoko, who was a silver Kitsune, and became a youkai himself. All avatars are fated to merge with their youkai counterparts or risk mental instabiltiy and an early death. Right now, Naruto has a small amount of access to an average youkai's healing abilities along with increased senses and physical strength. Imagine what he would be like once he's merged? A nine tailed Kitsune is one of the craftiest and most cunning youkai in existence because it usually takes 100 years for each tail to grow. And their intelligence is matched if not greater then their strength. My grandkit is in his 400s, to other youkai he's barely an adolescent but to have all nine tails at his age is nothing short of amazing. My son, Shippo got his 9th tail when he was about a 100 years older after defending me from an ambush as my 497th birthday party. At the rate Naruto is going he's going to surpass Shippo within a century. The amount of power soon to be at his fingertips is nothing that you can even _attempt_ to handle."

Itachi's mask fell, showing all of his shock and Tsunade looked unsteady on her feet.

"You-you're-" she stammered.

"I'm...?"

"You're 497 years old?!"

"No, no, I'm not that old," Kagome said, waving her hands dismissidily. "Actually, Uchiha-san how long has it been since Sengoku Judai?"

_'The feudal era?_ "1500 years," he answered.

"I see. I'm 520, but technically 1520. Keeping track of you age while traveling through the space time continuum really is complicated."

*Bump*

The Hokage had starred at the raven haired young woman, who was now known to be more than her own age several times over. Her eyes rolled into her head and she fainted on her desk. Itachi noticed that the room was swimming and black was crawling the edges of his vision but he remained standing.

Kagome pouted, "Why does everyone always react like this when I tell them how old I am? You'd think they'd never met an immortal before."

The thought that the attractive woman next to him might be like Hidan was enough to make Itachi wince, "You don't have a penance for committing suicide or sacrificing things in the name of your Kami do you?"

Kagome starred at him, mouth agape. "Are you joking? Please tell me you're joking Uchia-san."

Itachi's emotionless mask came into play, and gave her a deadpanned expression.

"You're not joking..." Kagome's head hung, her hand ran through the inky black locks in exasperation. "Enma preserve my soul, this place is crazier than the Makai during a World Tordamenet if there's suicidal immortals running around. I just want to take a long shower and a full night's rest. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be exhausting. "

"You're welcome to stay with me." Did he really just say that?

Kagome looked up at him in surprise and Itachi knew that he'd really said it. Which was odd. He'd been acting odd since he had first seen her, decimating enemies till they were nothing but piles of ash and blood while she glowed with inhuman light. His actions and the way he treated the attractive young woman more than confused the former missing nin. Itachi would admit that he was curious about her, few wouldn't be, but willingingly offer his home to a stranger? A stranger capable of destroying an enemy that Konoha had nearly fallen to? It was foolish in more than a couple of ways. He'd rarely had anything to do with woman except for brief liaisons for sexual relief when he was younger. Or avoiding the more annoying and obsessive members of his fan-club. He'd never cared to offer his home to one.

"Really?" she asked, those deep blue eyes looking up and him while she began worrying her bottom lip. A shy and hesitant habit that only made her seem smaller, more delicate and feminine. There was a word, Itachi knew, that described her perfectly in that moment.

"Since the Hokage is incapacitated, and she hasn't given you a place to stay, you are welcome to my home in the Uchiha compound till you return to Suna with the Kazekage," Itachi answered, not allowing his internal musings to show on his face. "Sota already has his own room at the main house, and would be more comfortable. Naruto as well."

"True, Sota isn't all that found of hospitals,"Kagome said a soft smile on her face. "We should leave Tsunade a note though, just to tell her where I am. I'd rather not deal with something like today happening again."

_Neither would I_, Itachi thought inwardly while on the outside he just shrugged and rifled through the unconscious Hokage's desk for the necessary materials.

'_Kagome no Shikon, Sota, and Naruto are now quests of the Uchiha's and will be staying at the main house of the Uchiha compound._

_-From Itachi Uchiah'_

He finished the brief note quickly and offered the raven haired young woman his arm. She took it and the two of them left the Hokage tower to go and fetch her ototo and grandson. While they walked down the street Kagome kept pointing things out and asking what they were, ignoring the stares she got for her strange attire, and taking in his brief and vague answers with childlike delight.

As they neared the hospital, Itahci Uchiha realized the raven haired, centuries old miko, was cute.

* * *

Kagome brushed aside her kit's blond lock as he shivered and heaved once more into the empty tub of the bathroom in the main house of the Uchiah compound, trying her best to sooth him. It did little to help and he heaved again. The poor youngster had been tossing and turning since she and Itachi had brought her ototo and kit to the mansion. Kagome had stayed up the entire night watching him instead of sleeping like she had wanted to, and now it was already mid day.

Kagome was very thankful that Itachi had been gracious in her accommodations, though Gaara and Temari were sleeping in quarters closer to the Hokage Tower that visiting dignitaries used. The black haired male had a very large home, it had six bedrooms and two bathrooms, she had seen a decent sized garden and a small pond in addition to a good sized dojo when they'd put the two teens to bed. Sota was currently passed out in the room Itachi had given him before and didn't look to be waking up anytime soon. Not that Kagome minded, she was glad that he was safe for the moment and as soon as Naruto's nausea had passed she planned to take a good in-depth look at her ototo's body and aura.

_Stupid to forget that he's been starved for Kami knows how long,_ Kagome thought to herself. She should have expected this type of reaction. It was no different than letting a starved human gorge themselves on food, their deprived systems can't handle the sudden flood of energy and have to work overdrive to try and assimilate. The only difference now was that nothing tangible was within the blond to expel, he had consumed was purely energy and while the kit wouldn't die from it he still experienced the effects. It was a small blessing, Kagome certainly didn't want to harm her longed for grandchild.

The blond heaved a final time, his face turning a splotchy red from the effort before he sagged against the edge of the ceramic tub. Too tired and exhausted to move.

She stopped petting him and reached for a small towel, wetting it slightly with cool water from the sink. Kagome removed his hiate and unzipped his orange and black jacket, he was wearing a plain white shirt underneath it with a necklace that reminded her a little of the hiroseki Hiei had given her. But that was a question for another time. Pushing away her curiosity she placed them in a small pile close by them before taking the damp cloth and lightly tapping it against his heated skin.

Naruto sighed a little, grateful for the coolness.

"Feeling better now kit?" she asked gently as she continued to pat the cloth along his face and slowly against his neck. Naruto sucked in a small breath when it touched his neck but it felt too good so he just nodded.

She released a breath of relief, "Thank Inari. Now Kit listen your not going to be feeling well for a couple of days, you're going to have to rest while your body adjusts. You'll be irritable and feel a little queasy for a few days but you'll feel much better afterwards."

"Where are we? What did you do to me?" Naruto finally croaked. He was more than confused about this pretty woman taking care of him, not that he would complain. Her touch was soft and gentle, he could almost feel her care for him through her touches. He'd never had someone care for him like this before, it was strange but his body seemed to soak it up. It felt nice, to be cared for.

"We're at the Uchiha compound, Uchiah-san was nice enough to let you, me, and Sota stay for a few days while I help Konoha. As for what I did to you I let you feed on some of my energy, though I forgot that this might happen. I am sorry, Kit-Naruto," Kagome amended when she saw a flash of irritation. "How long have known about the Kitsune sealed inside you?"

Naruto didn't answer for a while, Kagome rewetted the cloth and wrung out the extra moisture before returning to her previous actions with patience. "Since I was 12," he finally answered, a longing and fear buried so deep that most wouldn't have noticed it.

"I see," Kagome said, patting the cloth to the back of his neck before continuing. "From what I gathered since arriving to this plane the ningen living here know very little about youkai in general, let alone the characteristics of different breeds despite the lingering youki I can sense amongst the villagers. I'm glad that you've been strong till now."

Naruto had to wonder what she meant but he was to tired to follow that line of thought.

"Naruto," Kagome shook him a little bringing what little attention he had back to her. "You are exhausted, and I know that it's difficult to pay attention but I need you to tell me if the Kitsune inside you is awake or sleeping. Can you tell?"

" 'es sleep'n" he mumbled. " Fur ball's usually loud, now 'es quite." Sleep sounded good now too, Naruto thought, he couldn't remember a time he'd been so sleepy. Her voice didn't help much either, it was nice; low and soothing and warm. It didn't grate on his ears like a lot of other voices did, soon, all too soon, his eyelids closed. Something shifted, a new sense of pressure changed and he suddenly felt like he was wrapped in a blanket, safely protecting him from anything outside his cozy little world. Naruto fell back asleep, feeling safer and more at peace than at anytime in his life.

Kagome softly wrapped Naruto in her aura, his demonic one latched onto it and he began feeding like a kit at tete, but thankfully it was at a slower pace than before. It was like carrying around an tiny creature in her chest, warm not unpleasant. She could feel him much better this way as well, her grandkit was having peaceful dreams, lazily sucking at her energy every now and again. _That was good, he's not feeding to gorge himself now, _she thought with relief. She got up from the hard wooden floor, her legs wobbled a little in dizziness. She had to eat a little and sleep or she would be too tired to do anything, let alone create the barrier to protect to the whole of Konoha or care for her kit.

She exited the bathroom and went searching for the kitchen, carefully avoiding the occupied rooms. Especially Hidan's. She had sensed Itachi's unease when he found out that she was an immortal, she had thought it had been from a regular ningen's perception of mortality. Many ningen that had found out had become uncomfortable in her presence after, either from jealousy and having their perceptions altered. After meeting the silver haired male though Kagome understood his unease. While she hadn't told him how she had attained her immortality she had explained that she didn't need to do any rituals or worship a Kami to become what she was, unlike his former college's.

Kagome eventually found the kitchen, despite being 1000 years in the future it had all the basic amenities, a fridge, stove, and sink with hot and cold water. She began to make herself a small but filing meal, her body went through the motions of cooking while her mind was occupied.

Most of her thoughts had to do with the blond currently asleep in the bathroom. _It will be a lot to take in, being told he's a Kitsune avatar, my grand-kit's avatar no less, and all the changes and baggage that came along with it. Suddenly finding out that he had a grandmother and a great-uncle isn't something most teenagers are told. Then I have to explain what it all means in relation to each other. _ That discussion would take a few hours at least. She inwardly winced at having to explain Kistune pack and family dynamics.

Kagome could tell from the blonde's aura that the youkai within was a few centuries old, 400-500 years at most. She'd told Tsunade to have so many tails at such a young age was amazing, but it was also worrying. There must have been a reason why her grandkit needed to be powerful at so young an age, his breeding could only give the kit a head-start. While she was worried for her kit's reason for achieving so many tails, Kagome could feel maternal pride swell in her breast. Naruto's aura sensed his Alpha's feelings through their connected aura's and it thrummed with joy in response, though the blond didn't rouse from sleep. Kagome couldn't help the small smile at the feeling of a content kit in her aura, finally she had a grandchild to teach and spoil. She was looking forward to it and decided to set aside her worries for later.

Kagome finished preparing her meal and washed the dishes she'd used before settling down to eat at the table. She'd made some grilled fish, rice, and a tomato salad. Muttering a quick thanks for her meal she dug in. It tasted good and her stomach was grateful.

"What are you doing?"

Kagome turned around to see Sasuke frowning at her. His aura pulsed with apprehension and dislike, the former she could understand, the later however confused her. She hadn't given the younger Uchiha a reason to dislike her, they'd only met when Itachi had introduced them last night and said that her family would be staying with him. "Having lunch. Would you like to join me Sasuke?"

"Hn." _And that's Sesshomaru speak for, I will join you to make sure you don't do anything suspicious._

Kagome shrugged and went back to eating her lunch as he pulled up the chair directly across from her. His coal black eyes starring at her, watching her like a hawk for the smallest twitch that she was about to do... something. She had no idea what he was looking for so she pretended not to notice his eyes boring into her and continued to eat her lunch. At least he was quiet and didn't interrupt her.

She ate at a leisurely pace, enjoying her food and company. Even if the only reason Sasuke was here was to watch her. She was about to dig into her salad when she notice his gaze move from her to the bowl. "It's tomato salad," Kagome said. "Would you like some?"

Sasuke's gaze flecked from her to the bowl and back, "Hn." _I would like it but I'm watching you._

Kagome sighed and handed the bowl and fork over to the raven haired male. Surprise flashed through his eyes for a second before narrowing in distrust. "I'm already full and I don't want this to go to waste. Do you mind eating it?"

"Hn," Sasuke said, picking up the bowl and fork. _I will eat it just to keep it from being wasted._ He began eating it as well, his aura sparking with little flashes of enjoyment.

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. _Never thought that learning how to speak Icy-Dai-youkai-ese would be a useful skill._

He finished quickly and the two of them washed and put away the dishes. "What are you going to do now?"

Kagome noticed that that was the longest sentence the male had said to her so far. Itachi's ototo didn't seem all that big on talking, well neither did the Elder Uchiha but at least he made polite conversation and answered some of her questions. She walked to where she remembered the entrance to the manor was, Sasuke following after her like a shadow. "I have to go fetch Banryu, I left him at the battle field yesterday and needs to be polished. After that I'm going to check on Naruto and Sota and take a long bath and sleep." She found her boots and put them on, Sasuke put on his own ninja shoes.

"You could just get someone else to get it."

"No I can't no one would be able to touch Banryu, let alone bring it back," Kagome said, deliberately. She got what she had been looking for, a brief flash of recognition and understanding in his aura. Seems Sasuke had an experience with the weapons Sota had brought. She touched the doorknob but stopped, turning around she asked, "Are you going to follow me around all day?"

"Hn," the black eyed male said, putting his hands in his pockets. _ Of course, you're an outsider. _

Kagome sighed and walked out of the house while muttered to her self about 'frigid Sesshomaru wanna bes.' Sasukse walked beside her, his face a mask of arrogance that she couldn't help but be annoyed by. Naruto's aura stirred in curiosity, tasting her emotions and connecting them to certain images. It immediately relaxed again once it connected Sasuke's image with her current irritation, a wave of trust coming from him.

Kagome stopped, her eye brow raised in question. _Well that was interesting_. Sasuke noticed her pause and turned to her a little, a question in his eyes. Sapphire met black, "Naruto considers you someone trustworthy, he considers you pack."

Sasuke's body language didn't change in the slightest and he began to walk again, Kagome easily kept up with the male as his aura wen haywire. Distrust, shame, curiosity, anger. "Hn."

"It's not a bad thing," Kagome said, "Naruto has good instincts, if he trusts you enough to make you pack then you must be a trustworthy person. No matter what you did or why you did it, he will forgive you."

She noticed the two guards and large wall that lead to the world outside of Konoha. She got a few glances filled with caution and distrust but they weren't so bad when they noticed who was with her. The two ravenettes quickly left Konoha's walls and went to where the battle had occurred. She sensed several demonic auras and sent out her own in warning. They quickly dissipated, low level youkai easily recognizing the more powerful predator.

Kagome looked around searching for Banryu's familiar aura. She sensed it a few feet from where they were. The duo quickly found her weapon, still buried halfway into the earth. "Ah, found it," she said excitedly, pulling out the large heavy weapon from the ground. "Good to have you back old friend," she said, the halberd's blade glinting in the sunlight. Banryu's aura glowed purple, excited to be back in his mistress' possession and egger for more destruction.

Sasuke scowled at the tiny woman, his anger at her words finally breaking free, "What the hell are you?"

"Me?" Kagome asked surprised. "I'm ningen. Technically."

"Does it make you feel good tearing into people like that?" Sasuke snarled, Sharingan activating without him being aware. "Do you and your brother like gazing into people and uncovering the scars of their soul, tearing into them till they bleed anew? Telling them that they're considered 'pack' by someone they've tried to kill. Is it some game you sick fucks like to play?"

Kagome's mouth opened in shock before snapping back together, she gritted her teeth in anger, "I'm not doing anything like that Sasuke. If you have a troubled past that's our own business, I don't go prying into your life."

"You know who I am don't' you?" Sasuke yelled. "The Uchiha Traitor, Orochimaru's protégé. A stain on the Uchiha name. It would have been better for Naruto if I'd never come back to-"

Kagome lunged at the raven haired male and slapped him firmly across the face, making his head jerk to the side. She grabbed the front of his shirt pulling his face closed to her own. "Dont you dare finish that sentence Sasuke Uchiha. If you plan to have children one day you. will. not. finish. that. sentence."

Sasukse starred at the enraged female; up close he could see the light ring of green around her pupil become more pronounced as the rest of her blue eyes darkened in her anger. No female, except for the Hokage, had ever hit him before. Red bloomed on his cheek against pale skin, and the Sharingan deactivated. It stung.

"I don't care what you think would have been better you self-centered brat," Kagome snarled. "But you are not going down that road. I refuse to beleive that my grondson's pack mate can be this idiotically hard headed. If I have to beat your sorry excuse for a ninja butt into the ground everyday for the rest of your life till you get it through your thick skull that he doesn't care, I will do it and save him the pain of doing it himself. Got it?"

Sasuke just nodded, oddly numb. Kagome's eyes lost their anger and they lightened at him, her grip loosened from his shirt. She cupped his face, the hand that touched his injured cheek glowed a light pink before the stining faded. "You are hardly the first person whose done something stupid, Sasuke," she said, her voice warm in compassion and care. She brushed his bangs to the side, "Nor are you the first person who realized that they made a mistake and came back only to see things are a bit different now. If you keep letting your past control you Sasuke you'll strangle your tamashi and sanity till there is nothing of yourself left."

"Your brother," he muttered, "he said the same thing. That if I don't stop I'll loose my birthright."

Kagome nodded, "I would hope so. Sota might be a monk but I trained him, miko's tend to be more in tuned with people and their aura's. Buried deep in yours is something amazing, Sasuke, but also something very dangerous, much like Naruto and much like myself. It will take a lot of hard work and there will be times where you forget yourself but you'll be able to rise from your mistakes and become truly great."

_He said that too, but why does it sound different when she says it? _Sasuke wondered. _Her words, they make me feel... like she cares. Not about the Uchiha, or Konoha nin, but me. Do they mean it? That they care about me?_ He closed his eyes, laying his head against her kimono clad shoulder. Her scent wafted from into his nose, vanilla and cinnamon. It soothed a part of himself that he hadn't known was still tense at that moment.

"What if I don't know how to remember?"

Kagome began petting the youth's raven hair, making him snuggle more into her shoulder. "Then Naruto or I will remind you. You're pack Sasuke, and one thing about pack is that it never gives up on each other. One of us will remind you exactly who 'Sasuke' is. Kitsune are stubborn like that, once claimed as pack nothing, not even death, can take you from them. If you forget we'll just have to do whatever it takes to remind you, even if it means beating your arrogant ass into the ground."

Sasuke snorted, acting a little more like his old self, "Like the dobe could do that."

"Well that 'dobe' happens to be my grandson and if he's anything like his father you might just have a hard time catching up with him after all the hell, I mean training, I'll be putting him through," Kagome said, giggle a little at the end. "When I get done with him Konoha won't be able to recognize him."

Sasuke lifted his head from her shoulders and the two of them walked back to the Uchiha compound.

He had a feeling that he'd just met the one person who could make Orochimaru's training look like kittens in comparison. _When she first starts training the dobe,_ Sasuke thought, a smirk on his face. _I'll be there to watch him get his butt kicked by a girl._

* * *

In the shadows surrounding Konoha a creature watched a battle occur. It watched as a ningen smelling of snakes, taint, and decay fled. Away from the monk-child it had tried to merge with, away from the miko-woman who destroyed every youkai in her path and whose aura screamed danger to it. The ningen had run until nightfall, resting in the branches of a thick tree.

It needed a body, it had no form. It was weak without a body. It needed a body. Needed it to become more, to become strong. The monk-child had stopped it from merging with the boar it would have been strong in the boar. When the monk-child had stopped it had tried the monk-child. But then when it had about to take the monk-child's he had fought it off and the strange magics had brought it to this realm.

**_Damn, you Rekai bassstardsss. I'll get you for thisss_.**

First it needed a body. Ningen smelling of snakes and taint would do for now. Later it would get a better body. And it would be strong.


End file.
